


Magic & Ice

by ajwolf



Series: Hogwarts on Ice [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Adorkable, Also Cute and Fluffy, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Anxiety, Birthday Fluff, Bisexual Male Character, Blackmail, Canon Gay Relationship, Characters Aged Down, Dancing, Depression, Flowers, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Male Character, Healthy Relationships, Hogwarts, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Muggles, Nonbinary Character, Otabek Best Bro, Past Abuse, Pure Teenage Adorable Viktuuri Snuggles, Slow Build, Slow Burn, So pure it cleanses my soul, Sweet story, Teenage Viktor is so Pure, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trichotemnomania, Wingman Mila, figure skating, viktuuri, world records
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-09-17 12:03:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 41
Words: 303,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9322724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajwolf/pseuds/ajwolf
Summary: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has begun accepting NEWT transfer students. For 5th year Yuuri Katsuki it’s a dream come true, and a chance for his to find his place in the world, both on the ice and off.16 year old Yuuri is off on a fun-filled adventure, full of friends and discovery, as he learns how to fall in love, and how to love himself. He might be chasing his idol, 17 year Viktor Nikiforov, but Viktor may be closer than he seems, as he too struggles to find his place in the world.The Harry Potter AU where they're still Skaters!





	1. A Chance to Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Magical Schools of the World _(per Pottermore)_
> 
> Hogwarts: United Kingdom  
> Mahoutokoro: Japan  
> Koldovstoretz: Russia  
> Durmstrang: Northern Europe  
> Ilvermorny: North America  
> Beauxbatons: France and surrounding countries  
> Castelobruxo: South America  
> Uagadou: Africa

_An exciting announcement was made today in London, where Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, announced that for the first time, Hogwarts will be accepting transfer students for their NEWT level classes._

_"This change in policy is being made in order to encourage further international cooperation," said Ms. McGonagall in a press conference today. "After the events of 7 years ago, we feel it is important to encourage stronger bonds of friendship within the magical community. There are too many things dividing our kind, and the more we bring down these walls of division, the closer we come to realizing a brighter future for all wizards. We feel that this is a small, but important step towards that goal."_

_During Voldemort's last rise to power, Hogwarts School was temporarily under the control of The Death Eaters, and temporarily banned admittance of Muggle-born Witches and wizards. Attendance numbers were already low due to the sharp decline in birth rates among wizards in Britain after Voldemor’st first reign of terror, thus bringing enrollment to an all time low 7 years ago._

_While numbers have increased at Hogwarts in recent years, many Muggle-born families fled the country during the attacks and enrolled their children in other schools throughout the world. Even after the final demise of the self proclaimed Lord, many families were hesitant to return._

_"We immigrated to America and enrolled our children in Ilvermorny," said Gladys Tufferton of Boston, formerly of Liverpool. "My husband and I are both Muggle-born. We knew we were in danger, and had no guarantees our children would be allowed to enroll in Hogwarts, so we moved to America. We thought of coming back or enrolling our children in Hogwarts after Voldemort’s death, but we just weren't sure if it was really safe. They never caught all of the Death Eaters..."_

_The board of directors is hopeful this change will provide an overall increase in enrollment numbers and help restore confidence in the school for the wizarding community. Further, they hope this change will once again re-establish Hogwarts’ prominence as one of the foremost magical education facilities in the world._

_Many alumni praised this decision, welcoming the change as a wonderful legacy in honor of former Headmaster Albus Dumbledore._

_"When I was Head Boy, we spoke many times about his desire for more international cooperation," said Percy Weasley, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at the school. "This will certainly be a great change towards that end, and most importantly, I'm sure Dumbledore would approve."_

_Those interested in transferring to Hogwarts may contact the school by owl, addressed to the Headmistress herself. The first class of transfer students will be accepted starting next year upon successful completion of their OWL or equivalent exams. Exceptional student may also be eligible for scholarships in value up to the full cost of tuition._

 

Yuuri Katsuki let out a whoop, dropping the newspaper, and eagerly beginning the search for a quill and parchment, his eyes wide with excitement. Finding what he needed, He dabbed his quill in the bottle of ink on his desk top, and began to writing in English, happier than he'd ever been that he had mastered the language.

> "Dear Professor McGonagall,
> 
> My name is Yuuri Katsuki and I am a 5th year student at Mahoutokoro Wizarding School in Japan. I have excellent grades but am ineligible for the final two years of study, due to the blood restrictions of the school. I would like to apply to Hogwarts for the NEWT course program as a transfer student.
> 
> Also, I am interested in potential scholarship opportunities and would like more information on what is required from me in order to secure them.
> 
> I am eager for your response and thank you for making this opportunity available.
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Yuuri Katsuki

He scanned the letter, and satisfied, sealed it within an envelope, addressing it to the Headmistress of Hogwarts.

He raced down the stairs to the kitchen. His mother stood at the counter preparing breakfast, while his faithful dog Vicchan slept on the floor in a patch of sunlight. Skidding to a halt he cried out, disturbing the dog in the process, "Mom, I need to borrow the owl!"

"Of course dear, but what do you need her for?"

Yuuri dashed to the cage where the family owl sat perched, snoozing away after a night of hunting. He tied the envelope to the bird's leg and gently stroked her beak. "It'll be a bit of a journey for you Sora, but I'm sure they'll take good care of you when you get there."

The owl nipped his fingers affectionately, spread her wings and took off out of the kitchen window. Yuuri turned to find his mother staring at him expectantly, an indulgent smile playing on her lips.

"It was in the paper this morning: Hogwarts is taking NEWT transfer students next year! And they even have scholarships!"

"Oh my Yuri, that's wonderful! I know how much you wanted to continue your education, but isn't Hogwarts very far away?"

"Yeah, it’s in Scotland I think, but they have dorms, and I can come back home during breaks to visit. It'll be worth it if I can get a full scholarship and continue my studies."

His mother smiled, "Well its fine if it's what you really want to do. Even if you don't get the scholarships you can still go. We'll manage."

Yuuri shook his head, "I couldn't do that mom. I know business is tough for the Onsen and I can’t have you guys making sacrifices for me. If I don't get the scholarships, I won't go."

She suddenly enveloped him in a tight hug. "You will, Yuuri. This is your dream; I would never forgive myself for taking it from you. But we shouldn't worry about that for now. You're the brightest in your class, I'm sure you'll get plenty of scholarships. Let's see what they say and we'll take it from there."

Yuuri smiled and hugged her tighter. "Thanks mom."

“What’s all the hugging about?”

Yuuri’s sister, Mari, and his father had just come into the kitchen, both dressed in their Yutopia employee robes, with curious looks on their faces. Vicchan, now fully awake, wagged his tail excitedly, enjoying having the whole family in the room together.

“The British Wizarding school is excepting transfer students for the final two years of education.” Yuuri’s mother, Hiroko, explained simply. While Yuuri and Hiroko were both wizards, Toshiya and Mari were Muggles. They had heard some stories from Yuuri and his mother about wizarding, and certainly had seen their fair share of magic over the years, but neither understood the wizarding world as well as Yuuri and Hiroko. There were some things you just couldn’t explain, like the feeling of riding a broom and how it felt to hold your wand for the first time; though Yuuri’s memories were a bit foggy on the later point.

There were also some subjects which they were just ignorant because they weren’t involved in the wizarding community. They knew Hiroko had only attended the Japanese Magical Institute for 5 years, and Yuuri would do the same, but they didn’t know why neither of them were completing the final two years. To be honest, Yuuri wasn't even sure they knew the school offered 7 years of magical education, or that it was standard in many other countries. Hiroko had always felt it best not to burden them with the knowledge, and Yuuri agreed. It didn’t mean he didn’t want to go, he just knew it wasn’t possible.

“Well, if you’re going to get into Hogwarts you better get a move on to class, you’ll need to keep your grades up for admission, I’m sure.” Hiroko smiled at Yuuri and nodded her head at the clock.

Crap! He was nearly late! He must have spent more time reading the article and writing the letter than he’d thought. He sprinted up the stairs, quickly dressed in his school uniform and returned to the kitchen just a few minutes later. His father and sister had already headed back to work, but his mother stood by the fire, helpfully holding out a pot of Floo powder to Yuuri.

Kissing her cheek and grabbing his book bag, he tossed a handful of the powder into the fire, jumped in and yelled “Mahoutokoro School!” and away he went, zipping past fireplaces one after another. He held on tight to his glasses and bag, keeping his elbows tucked in tight until he felt his grate approaching and slipped out, landing rather gracefully in the front corridor of his school.

“You just made it Katsuki.” Yuuri looked up to see his least favorite teacher glaring down at him, with a look on his face that would have made Yuuri suspect he had stepped in dog poop, if he didn’t know better already. This particular teacher always looked at Yuuri this way. He was a pureblood, from an extremely old and rich family, and he had never thought much of Yuuri. They had spent just one class together in Yuuri’s 3rd year, after which Yuuri had chosen to drop Arithmancy, rather than sit through 3 years of constant judgment for something he couldn’t change.

“Muggle studies will be starting any minute and it would be a shame to be late,” the pureblood said with a sneer.

Ignoring the teacher, Yuuri brushed off the ashes that specked his uniform and made his way quickly down the halls, past the few students that were still milling about, towards his first class of the day.

The school mostly taught Japanese wizards, but also accepted students from throughout Asia, much as their Chinese counterpart did. What set Mahoutokoro apart from many schools is that it was primarily a day school, with only a few students living on campus.

In the past, most students would travel via broom or on the backs of one of the school’s Petrels to get to class, but as the population of Japan increased, it became increasingly difficult to fly one of the great birds unnoticed. The school had recently begun using the Floo network for the majority of students.

One of Yuuri’s closest friends at school, Phichit Chulanont, was one of the school’s international students, coming all the way from Thailand. This meant he was one of the few students living in the dorms since Floo services between the two nations wasn’t entirely reliable. 

A year younger than Yuuri, they had bonded over a shared love of figure skating when Yuuri had overheard his kohai asking the Muggle Studies teacher if there was a place on campus where he could watch the Grand Prix Final. Yuuri had immediately offered to take Phichit to his home so they could watch the GPF together, and had been close friends ever since.

In fact now, any time there a major competition aired, he and Phichit would invade the television area of his family’s inn, along with his Muggle friends, Yuuko, Nishigori, and his ballet instructor Minako. Phichit even came over on weekends when he could to go skating at Ice Castle together.

Yuuri had been skating since before he even knew that he was a wizard. His mother had encouraged him to take ballet lessons to help build his confidence, and on his instructor Minako’s suggestion he had given skating a try. He might not have stuck with it at first if he had not met Takeshi and Yuuko, who had quickly become his closest friends. And even then he might have quit once he became a wizard and started studying magic if not for _him_.

They had been watching a Junior competition live stream that Minako had shown them right after Yuuri’s 12th birthday (when he was a first year at Mahoutokoro). Most of the skaters were (surprisingly) only slightly better than Yuuri, and not overly exciting to watch. But then _he_ had come on the ice and changed everything.

The boy was only 13, just a year older than Yuuri, but he had skated with so much beauty and grace that Yuuri had been unable to look away. His body had been small, yet strong, the perfect combination of feminine and masculine features. His skin was pale, but his eyes were the bluest the Yuuri had ever seen. Perfecting the image had been the boy’s long silvery hair, which flung along behind him like a beautiful ribbon, accenting his every move. Yuuri could still recall the feeling of wanting to touch those silky strands, something that still made him blush even to this day.

“That’s Viktor Nikiforov!” Yuuko had exclaimed. “They say he’s going to be the next huge skating star. He’s already broken a ton of records in the Novice Competitions and now is a serious competitor in the Juniors. He’s seriously amazing!”

“By next year he’ll probably win the Junior title.” Minako had commented. “You can tell he’s been practicing ballet for years probably as long as you have Yuuri. Look at his lines.” She nodded appreciatively.

Yuuri had never been drawn so strongly to anyone in his life.

“Course, with a professional coach, you could catch up to him in no time, Yuuri.”

Yuuri’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Minako. “Are you crazy, look at those jumps! His triple axel is perfect; I can barely land a double. There’s no way…”

“You’ve never had a real skating coach, just the basic instructors at the rink and me. I might know ballet, but there’s only so much I can teach you in skating. You need someone who has done it. Not having someone to watch and learn from is a huge disadvantage for you. Plus, look at his footwork, his spins. Yours are just as good if not better. There’s more to scoring than jumps. You could definitely compete with him even without a bunch of triples.”

For a moment, Yuuri had let himself dream of skating with Viktor, but quickly quashed it down. Business was tough, and with tourism dropping all of the other Onsens in town had closed except his families’ Yutopia. There wasn’t any extra money for skating lessons, let alone a professional coach. It was enough that his parents were able to pay his rink fees at the Ice Castle. He wouldn’t even be able to practice as much as he had if not for the Nishigori family letting him in after hours as much as he wanted. He was only able to even practice ballet because Minako gave him all the lessons he could ask for in exchange for helping her clean the studio when they were done each day.

Yuuri had already asked for enough, he thought, so no, he couldn’t ask for a coach too. He’d just keep working as he had done. Maybe once he finished school he could find a job, and a coach, and pay for it himself. Then, maybe, he could chase after Viktor Nikiforov.

This realistic look on life did not, however, stop him from following Viktor’s every move, collecting more than a dozen posters with his pocket money earned from taking on small jobs for neighbors around town. He watched every competition he could, and watched videos of Viktor on Minako’s computer or his recently acquired Smartphone again and again.

Watching him had in fact made his skating improve by leaps and bounds. He and Minako had analyzed his form and Yuuri had mimicked him as best he could. It had been slow going, but Yuuri had managed to improve his jumps. Now he could complete nearly any triple jump asked of him; at least, he could most of the time, as long as his mind wasn’t focused on something else.

If he was being honest with himself, he probably could have picked up enough part-time work to afford coaching fees, maybe not a top coach, but certainly someone who could help him take on Junior level competitions. Sure, he participated in some local competitions, but he’d never really tried to do more. It was his own mind that stopped him from dreaming, making himself believe it would be a waste. He knew sabotaging himself was a foolish, self-fulfilling prophecy, but he just couldn’t help letting his fears and anxieties get the best of him.

Yuuri sighed to himself as he sat down in his classroom, only seconds before the final bell. He had to admit a large part of his negative attitude was in part to knowing he’d never be allowed to finish school no matter how hard he tried. While his grades were good, he hadn’t been giving it, or skating, his all in years. As much as he told himself their words didn’t matter, he knew in his heart that years of being treated like slime on the bottom of their shoes had affected him; had made him believe he wasn’t good enough.

‘That changes today,’ he thought. ‘Hogwarts will give me a chance. I’m smart enough to get in and get a scholarship. I’m already the best in my class and I’m not even trying. I’ll be the best in the year with a little effort. Once I secure my spot in the NEWT classes, I’ll really focus on doing my best in skating again.’

He’d already looked it up, Hogwarts school year didn’t start until September 1st, and his classes at Mahoutokoro would end in March. That gave him 5 months to focus on solely on skating. He could ask Hogwarts if he could skate there. It was in Scotland so at least he could skate on a pond or lake during the winters. It wasn’t ideal, but it would be good enough.

Yuuri brought his mind back to the present as class began. He would need to focus now, because he had a chance to go to Hogwarts, and nothing was going to stand in his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be adding more tags (and characters) in the future. Rating may change, mostly just in place now for saucy language. ;) This is my first released fic in a _long_ time, but this show just does things to me. :)
> 
> I'll be adjusting a lot of the character's ages to suit my needs, and I'll make sure to state how old everyone is, but feel free to ask if you're not sure. Yuuri is 15 but will be turning 16 before he meets Victor. I've closed their age gap so they're only a year apart. As adults I think their age gap is really cute, but it just doesn't work for what I wanted to do in this fic. Plus a 20 year old with a 16 year old is...questionable.


	2. Eyes Forward

Yuuri’s nerves had started getting the best of him about a week later. His mother assured him that getting an owl to Scotland and back would take some time, but still, he couldn’t wait to hear back and learn if he had a chance at being accepted to Hogwarts.

He hadn’t sat idly by while he waited of course. His first order of business had been to draw up a studying and training schedule. He had gone to Minako’s after school that first day and asked her to step up his workouts and dance practices, mixing up the types of dance she taught him (who knew what might come in handy in the future). He also, admittedly, carried a few extra pounds on his small frame that he could do without.

She had gotten down to business immediately, sending his mom a list of banned foods from Yuuri’s dinner plate, and assigning him daily workouts meant to perfect his body. She had also devised an unexpected dance training course, teaching him not only advanced ballet and contemporary, but also Tango, Flamenco, Hip Hop, and Pole Dancing of all things. Every day she seemed to have a new style to drill into him. “Latin Dance will help with your movement. You’re very graceful but you have trouble being seductive. Hip Hop and Pole Dancing on the other hand will do wonders for your strength, and improve your core muscles; should help with whatever skating throws at you.”

Yuuri had to admit, she might be on to something. Jumps took a lot of strength, but his leg muscles were in no way prepared to hold his slimming body steady on the pole for any real length of time. After his first practice spent on the pole, he was certain the exercise would do wonders for his jump height and rotations. And after his first day of Latin dance, he was sure his hips would never move the same way again.

In addition to daily dance lessons, he ran in the mornings before class, and headed to the Ice Castle as soon as he got home for a few hours of skating before his meeting time with Minako.

That left him with only a few hours of studying time every night before bed, but he crammed as much in as possible. In honesty he wondered if he studied enough before a quiz at the end of the week, but upon receiving the paper, felt a quiet calm wash over him; there was nothing on the parchment that he wasn’t sure of. It was a nice feeling.  

Several teachers also commented to him that he seemed more invested in his classes; they wondered aloud what had caused this new found motivation. Yuuri kept quiet on the matter until two weeks later.

“Yuuri!” His Muggle studies teacher pulled him aside after class. “What’s gotten into you lately, your paper yesterday was fantastic! I’ve always known you were good, but this is beyond anything I’ve ever seen from you.” Her eyes gleamed as she spoke. “Did you decide to stay on for our NEWT courses?” She whispered conspiratorially. She had always been encouraging to continue his education, despite his protests.

Unlike Hogwarts, achieving a spot in the NEWT classes at Mahoutokoro required a lot more than good OWL results. Grades were important of course, but you also needed teacher recommendations, a family history qualification – which was basically just a look to see if your family was sufficiently “wizard enough” – and last, but certainly not least, money. You could, potentially, get around the family restrictions if your grades and recommendations were strong enough, but the costs weren’t as easy to work around.

While the first five years of compulsory education were completely free (other than books and occasional field trip costs), the final two years were enormously expensive, and only waved in extraordinary circumstances. The last time had been over 500 years ago when the Muggle Emperor’s son had been born a wizard, much to everyone’s surprise. The gesture had been made as a political move, rather than one of charity.

Yuuri was no emperor. He knew that no matter how good his grades, there was no way the fees would ever be waived for him.  He looked up at his teacher, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Phichit had stopped to listen in as well. Oh well, he had planned to fill Phichit in on his plans anyways.

“No. Even if they’d let me in with my family history, there’s no way we could ever afford the tuition.”

His teacher grimaced a bit, face full of understanding, and Phichit looked a bit uncomfortable. He never said anything, but it had become apparent over the years that Phichit’s family was quite wealthy, and had deep roots in the magical world, going back centuries in Thailand. It was a given that he would be completing his NEWTs.

Yuuri had never begrudged him that. Phichit was different from other pure-bloods at Mahoutokoro; he was kind to everyone no matter their blood status, and he was the only pure-blood taking Muggle Studies this year.

Muggle Studies was the least popular subject in school, and was so sparsely attended that multiple years of students were taught in the same class just to fill out the numbers. The class mostly consisted of Muggle-borns, which always struck Yuuri as being a bit ironic.

Since most of them understood basic things like electricity and automobiles, the class actually spent a lot of time looking at cutting edge Muggle technology, as well as fashion and pop-culture. They focused less on understanding Muggle life and more on fitting in with current Muggle society. While most of the class had interactions with Muggles outside of school, you missed out a surprising amount of current trends when you weren’t going to a normal school on a daily basis.

A few months ago one of his classmates had explained Instagram to the class after his little sister had shown him all the likes she’d gotten on a picture of him sleeping with the family cat on his head. Their homework that day had been to get an account and to use a filter to take a selfie. Yuuri had found that his dance and skating pictures seemed to be pretty popular, though nothing could beat the popularity of any exceptionally adorable photo of Vicchan.

Phichit, on the other hand, was the class’ undisputed selfie king. He posted almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day, and had amassed quite a following in very little time.

“I don’t know if you saw in the paper, but Hogwarts will be accepting NEWT transfer students next year, and I’ve decided to apply.”

“That’s wonderful, Yuuri!” His teacher beamed at him. “I’ve always felt it was a shame that you weren’t carrying on. If you need a teacher recommendation, don’t hesitate to ask!”

“That’s so cool Yuuri!” Phichit hugged him excitedly. They waved goodbye to their teacher and began making their way to their next classes. “I’ll miss you. It’ll be lonely not going to your house all the time.”

 “Are you kidding me? With me gone they’ll be dying for company! You’d better go over there just as much and keep an eye on them! Plus, without me, mom’s going to be the only one with magic around, and she can’t reach the top shelves to clean them. With as much Katsudon as you’ve eaten at my place over the years the least you can do is help her out while I’m gone.” He winked and Phichit laughed, mouth wide in a cheerful grin.

“Alright, I get it. I’ll make sure to keep going over.” He paused, eyes Yuuri closely. “You look different, have you been eating and sleeping enough? All the extra studying must mean you can’t skate as much.”

“Actually I’m doing that more too.” Phichit looked dumbfounded. “I’ve decided after I finish school I’m going to really give skating my all. I’ll get a job, Muggle or Magical, it doesn’t matter, hire a real coach, and go for it. I’ll have a couple of months between the end of term here and the start at Hogwarts, so I’m going to do as much skating and training as I can. Minako’s already applied for my JSF membership, so I’ll probably do a few competitions this summer too.

“I know I probably won’t get as much practice at Hogwarts, but I can at least do conditioning and dance on my own, and skate in the winters and on breaks. I figure if I can improve myself now and maintain it while at Hogwarts I stand a fighting chance of going pro once I’m done with school.”

“Yuu-ri!” Phichit purred. “That’s so cool! You’re going to be amazing, I know it!” He then pursed his lips and seemed to consider something for a moment before continuing, “My parents have been talking about getting me a coach for a while now. Why don’t I make the Ice Castle my home rink and you join us? Plus, that way even after you leave for school I have an excuse to see everyone. I can just Floo to your parents’ house whenever I practice.”

Yuuri nearly tripped over his own feet and stammered, “P-Phichit, there’s no way, I can’t…”

“With as many times as I’ve stayed over at your place and your parents have taken care of me? Your mom even mends my socks for me when they need it!”

Phichit seemed to puff up a bit, and Yuuri had a sinking suspicion he was going to lose this argument. “You don’t know this Yuuri, but I was really lonely when I first came here. It was hard for me to make friends. Skating was the only thing that made me happy, and I couldn’t even find a place to watch it since the dorms don’t have Muggle Televisions, let alone a skating rink. I was so depressed. Then out of nowhere you just invited me to your house, and your family took me in right away.

“After that first time I went to your place I was so happy I called home and told my parents all about it. They love you and are really thankful to your family for taking care of me. If I tell them I want to share the lessons with you for a bit, they’ll fall all over themselves to pay for it, so don’t even think about arguing!”

Yuuri held up his hands in mock defeat, “Ok ok!” He smiled at his friend, noticing a slow blush creeping into Phichit’s cheeks. “Thanks Phichit. To be honest, I never really fit in here either. There aren’t many half-bloods, and most people look down on my family. But you were always different. I’m really glad we’re friends.”

Phichit looked at him grinned. “Maybe I should wear my Viktor Nikiforov t-shirt to my exams next year just took make them all super uncomfortable.”

Yuuri snorted, “That’s a great idea; they’ll totally hate it. I should do that too, not like I have anything to lose here.”

Giggling, the two friends waved to each other and headed off to each of their respective classes, both with hearts that felt considerably lighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter. It was originally part of the first chapter but they seemed to feel better apart. Next two chapters will be longer.


	3. The Waiting Game

After two weeks, Yuuri’s patience had run thin, with his nerves starting to get the best of him;  by day 17 he was a nervous wreck, nearly certain in his own mind that they had laughed upon seeing it and thrown it in the trash immediately.

“Of course they haven’t done that,” He muttered to himself as he laid his head on his desk where he sat worrying away on the Saturday afternoon, attempting to get through his latest potions assignment. “If they weren’t going to respond, Sora would be back by now.”

Two weeks to the day from when he sent his letter, he’d gone online (the wizarding word had finally caught up with the times and had created their own internet for communicating with foreign wizards and sharing information more efficiently) and looked up how long it owl flights round trip from Japan to Scotland took. He had found a useful website run by a few owl and postal enthusiasts who had taken to recording owl flight times by species, distance, time of year and more. It was impressive; the site even included a delivery time estimate. Based on that, Sora should have made it there and back in 16 days.  At most. It had been 17.

That was good news, he reminded himself. This was a new program after all, they probably had a lot of information to organize and distribute. Who knew how many people had inquired after seeing the news. He was sure replying to his inquiry was bound to take a few days. Nothing to worry about.

He hoped wizards would start using email for these things soon. He would kill for a read notification right about now.

He lifted his gaze to the posters spread around his room, all featuring Viktor, wondering idly if Viktor ever had doubts like these. Yuuri sighed, he knew where he needed to be right now.

Vicchan was sleeping peacefully on Yuuri’s bed, but perked up as Yuuri stood and began to change into his skating clothes. “Want to go for a walk, boy?” Yuuri asked, smiling as Vicchan’s wagging tail beat excitedly at the prospect of going somewhere with his master.

After a quick text to Yuuko, making sure the rink wasn’t reserved, Yuuri headed downstairs with his dog and waved goodbye to his mother, who merely smiled, long since used to his unannounced trips to the skating rink when he needed to unwind.

He took off at a light jog, keeping his speed at a Vicchan friendly pace. Poodles could be excellent running companions, but Vicchan had always been a bit quick to tire, a minor birth defect that he'd really never let slow him down, content to happily pant at Yuuri’s side as they made their way to the Ice Palace.

The cool air that greeted them inside the Ice Castle had an instant effect on his mood, he could already feel his mind clearing just breathing it in. “Hey Yuuri! Hi Vicchan!” called Yuuko from the rental counter, Yuuri’s favorite skates and a treat for Vicchan already waiting. Vicchan sprinted behind the counter to snuggle with Yuuko, gratefully taking the treat she offered; while Yuuri happily accepted the skates.

“It’s just an open skate now, so you can skate as much as you like, maybe just no jumps. Lots of kids.”

“That’s fine; I just needed to clear my head. Figure I’ll just do some basic footwork. You don’t mind watching Vicchan?”

“Of course not! Take all the time you need, Yuuri.”

Yuuri grinned made his way over to the rink. A few minutes later, his skates tightly laced, he stepped on to the ice and began to slowly glide along its surface, letting his worries melt away. The irony of the ice being the only place this could happen always amused him. The Onsen was a great place to relax and refresh, but the ice was the place where his mind found a certain freedom from his worries.

An hour later a lot of the kids had grown tired and were now resting on the benches, with just a few sliding along the barrier. Yuuri’s mind felt clearer, so he began skating a bit faster, moving on from basic steps and footwork exercises to some of the more complicated spins, flinging his form into the tight moves in the center of the ice, bending and contorting as he moved from one move to the next.

After a particularly strong sit spin, he slipped into a few gliding movements, a song and a soft vision of long silvery hair playing in his mind. His body instinctively moved to the melody in his heart as he slid into his favorite Ina Bauer, focusing on the curve of his spine and elongating his body. The move spoke of beauty, and of the calm that love could bring. Yuuri had never experienced love, but when he thought of it, he imagined falling in love was like a spin, but the acceptance was like the calm, beautiful footwork that followed.

After acceptance, what came next? Strength maybe? Knowing you were loved, wanting desperately to show that love to the one who made you feel so good; the willingness to fight to hold onto their love. Why were strands of silver flashing through his mind now? Suddenly he realized his body was moving into a jump, and he let it, he just stopped thinking and let himself feel.

He flew. He knew it was a Toe Loop, it felt so natural, but he seemed to be spinning so fast, and it was such a long time before he came down. It felt so good he wanted to leap with joy and immediately moved into a Triple Flip.

“Ah,” he thought, “beautiful.” In his mind he could see Viktor’s Triple Flip, his favorite jump; he had already promised he would be the first to upgrade it to a quad. No one else could even consider doing that jump; but for Viktor it seemed to be only a matter of time.

It was a moment before Yuuri realized he was spinning again, his body moving on its own once more, with no input required from him. It was another few seconds before he understood that these movements, while his own, were strongly reminiscent of Viktor’s Junior World Championship program. It wasn’t exact, more like a reply to a question he didn’t even know had been asked.

He didn’t know when he had begun skating what could only be described as a program, but he found he didn’t care. This is what he loved, if he could capture this on the ice every time, then it would be worth continuing on, not just until he finished high school, but beyond, into the professional circuit.

He felt his body stop, the music in his heart coming to a close. He had said what he needed to say and his only regret was that he had no memory of any of the moves he’d made.

Suddenly the sound he hadn’t heard since beginning his spins blasted his ears, clapping and cheering all around, even some happy barking. He looked around, panting from the physical effort, only now realizing how taxing his skate had been. All around the rink, parents and kids were cheering for him; a slow blush crept up his cheeks.

But the loudest cries, and barks, were coming from Yuuko and Vicchan, who it appeared had been joined by Nishigori.

“Yuuri!” They were calling, Yuuko’s phone clutched in her hand, both of them waving frantically. “Yuuri, why didn’t you tell me you could do quads now?!”

Yuuri’s mind went blank, “Huh? What are you talking about? I’ve only just gotten solid on triples. I can’t do quads.”

Nishigori’s head was shaking hard. “You just did one. A Toe Loop. And then you comboed it into a Triple Flip. Didn’t you realize?”

Yuuri became vaguely aware of Vicchan licking his hand on the barrier, the poodle having put his front paws on the top to get closer to his master, his tail frantically wagging. He let his mind focus on his dog for a moment while he tried to take in Nishigori’s words. “I can’t have…”

“Thank god I got a video or you’d never believe us. Your spins were so beautiful I had to film it. I knew you’d want to see since you were so in the zone. You did that Ina Bauer, it was beautiful by the way, and then you just flew, Yuuri.” She her fingers across the screen of her phone pulling up the video, shoving it in front of his disbelieving eyes.

Yuuri watched, critical of his own movements, but realizing that Yuuko was right, his positioning was perfect today, his spins gliding so well along the ice. Yuuri could hear that melody that had been playing in his mind. He continued to watch, satisfied at the strength of his lines; and then…he counted the rotations and watched the flip that came after, his mouth falling open.

“I did a quad,” His voice was merely a whisper, disbelief heavy in every syllable.

“I’m sending this to you and Minako,” Yuuko commented. “I have a feeling you’re going to need to watch this a few dozen times before you get it through your head.” A ding from Yuuri’s bag alerted him that the video had been received.

He wanted to see it again, on his own phone. Somehow that seemed more real. He grabbed his guards and went over to the exit and walked back over to the others. Sitting down, Vicchan’s head instantly resting in his lap, he dug his phone out of his bag and began watching the video again.

He watched the jump again and again. He'd casually attempted quads in the past with Minako observing, but they'd both agreed that he was in no way ready for them, and should really wait a bit longer to try for them in earnest. Beyond his own mental blocks, he lacked the strength to properly execute the biggest jumps. Apparently the two weeks of increased training had had an effect, but as he looked critically at his form, he saw he had only just managed it, his skates coming perilously close to the ice in the final rotation.

He had been lucky.

But then again, everything else had been right where it needed to be. He was relaxed, focused and his entry was smooth. He let the video continue, watching his lines and form. There was only one other small double jump, but it was his footwork that stood out. It was so clean and expressive. He could actually see the influence of his new dance classes in each step.

In short, his hard work was paying off, and if just two weeks of work had improved his skating this much, his school work must be experiencing a similar change. He knew his teachers had been impressed, but only now did he start to have some idea how much of a difference his efforts must be making.

It didn't mean he had reached his goals; that he could definitely get into Hogwarts, or that he could compete in figure skating. In fact, he was quite sure if attempted another quad now, he fail it miserably; but the fact remained that he could do it, and clearly he was on the right track to long term improvements.

He opened his texts and sent Minako a message.

"Need to continue with leg strengthening and stamina training," he'd been really tired after skating at that level. He would need to be better if he was going to include even more jumps and difficult elements in his programs. Though, he imagined, he probably had a lot more stamina than most people his age. After just a few minutes of rest he felt sure he could skate the program again, he could feel the excited energy vibrating inside him, eager to skate again.

His phone dinged with the incoming message from Minako, "Yep, your height was dismal. I'm adjusting your plan with that in mind."

Yuuri smiled. Minako was probably screaming to herself in her studio after seeing that jump, but she knew he needed her critical eye more than her praise.

Grinning, Yuuri took off his skates but hesitated to put his shoes on right away, enjoying the stretch and freedom of his feet felt after being removed from the skates. He supposed he would need to buy a pair of skates soon, as he was sure Hogwarts didn't have a rental counter. If he got in. The worry he'd relaxed away on the ice loomed ever present; he fought to push away the negative emotions.

He became aware then that Yuuko and Nishigori were arguing about something in hushed tones. He stood, carefully dislodging Vicchan’s head from his lap, ready to play referee for the couple when his phone buzzed with another text. A message from Mari popped up and banished all other thoughts from his mind.

_Sora is back._

He gasped and quickly pulled on his shoes, shoving his skates at a now very confused Yuuko and sprinting to the door, Vicchan hot on his heels.

"Yuuri what's..."

"I'll call you later" he shouted over his shoulder to her and Nishigori, both staring at him, mouths open, their early agreement seemingly forgotten.

He made it about halfway home when he noticed Vicchan struggling to keep up. He slowed his pace to a brisk walk. "Sorry boy, but it's here, my letter is finally here." He struggled, resisting the urge to run again when suddenly he heard the sound of a car pulling alongside him, Minako inside.

"Need a ride?" She grinned.

Yuuri nodded appreciatively. He quickly opened the back letting Vicchan hop in, then got in the front seat himself and buckled himself in.

Minako was smiling. "I figured you wouldn't want to show your family that jump so I thought I'd have dinner at your place and show them myself."

Thought of the letter vanished for a moment, "You really don't need to..."

"Sure I do, they'll be proud. You've had a lot more focus these past few weeks. And your mom tells me you're thinking of transferring schools so you've been studying more. We're all proud of you. Never really saw myself becoming a mother, but you're basically a son to me at this point. Best kid I could ask for."

Yuuri blushed. Minako inhabited a place in his heart between mother and friend. He was beyond grateful to her. She gave him a sense of comfort and confidence he couldn't seem to get anywhere else. It was different from his feelings towards his own mother, but it felt just as strong.

He didn't really have a word for it.

They pulled into Yutopia and Yuuri quickly headed inside with Vicchan. As he entered the kitchen he was vaguely aware of Vicchan scurrying over to his bowl and lapping up some water. He supposed Minako would go to the TV room to order drinks and show his mother the video.

The kitchen was deserted other than himself, Vicchan, and a thick envelope that was addressed in swirling green ink:

 

> Mr. Yuuri Katsuki
> 
> Yutopia Hot Springs Resort
> 
> Hatsetu, Kyushu, Japan

He made to the opposite side of the kitchen in two steps, tearing into the envelope, thankful when the wax seal lifted easily. He pulled out the two thick pages and began to read.

 

 

> Dear Mr. Katsuki,
> 
> We were delighted to have received your letter of interest regarding enrollment at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a NEWT transfer student.
> 
> As you know, acceptance will be based on the results and completion of your OWL or equivalent test scores. In order to better direct you in your endeavors, we will be assigning you an adviser to guide you through your preparations to enter Hogwarts.
> 
> Your aide is a Hogwarts graduate from your area. They will help you not only with your studies, but also assist in acquiring all of the items you'll need for Hogwarts, and instruct you on arrival procedures for getting to school in September, should your OWL scores prove satisfactory.
> 
> We look forward to discussing your acceptance, scholarships, and study options upon successful completion of your OWL (or equivalent) exams.
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Minerva McGonagall
> 
> Head Mistress
> 
> Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
> 
>  

Yuuri couldn’t help but grin excitedly as he shuffled the pages. Today might be the best day of his life so far. Flipping to the second page, he read on:

 

 

> Dear Mr. Katsuki,
> 
> I will be serving as liaison for all transfer students in the coming year. I have spoken with your instructors at Mahoutokoro and they have all assured me that you are an excellent student and a fine candidate for the Hogwarts NEWT transfer program.
> 
> I have no doubt I will be writing to you very soon to congratulate you on your successful admittance to Hogwarts.
> 
> In the meantime, I have sent instructions to your local tutor and Hogwarts Alumni, Ms. Minako Okukawa, and she will be contacting you shortly to assist you in preparing for your exams and future at Hogwarts.
> 
> I look forward to seeing how your abilities grow in the coming months,
> 
> Professor Sprout
> 
> NEWT Transfer Student Liaison
> 
> Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
> 
>  

Yuuri stared at the page, his mind blank and unsure if he had read her words correctly.

"Like I said kid," Yuuri jumped and saw Minako leaning against the kitchen door frame, wand twirling between her fingers, and a cheeky grin playing across her face; "we're all real proud of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments on the first 2 chapters! They really mean a lot. Please keep at it if you're enjoying this, it keeps me motivated. 
> 
> Minako is such a great character, cannot wait to tell you all her story!
> 
> My hope is to release 3 chapters this weekend so look forward to it.


	4. Minako’s Dilemma

“Minako-sensei!” Yuuri spluttered, a thousand questions all fighting to come out at once.

“Let’s go talk back in the dining room.” Minako stopped him with a jerk of her head towards the private area of the house where his family lived. “We’re a little too close to the guest quarters for this conversation.”

Yuuri nodded and followed her. As they made their way down the hall, Minako waved at Hiroko who called out, “I’m going to the back to talk with Minako and Yuuri, will you be alright dear?”

Toshiya poked his head out from one of the many staff preparation areas connected to the Inn. “Oh sure, it’s just regulars right now, I can take care of everything while you talk. Take your time.” He smiled brightly at Yuuri.

“I’m coming too, I want to hear this.” Mari sprinted up beside them, looping her arm with Yuuri’s. She had never shown much interest in wizarding things, but for the first time Yuuri wondered if she had always been curious, but had just held herself back since he had never really wanted to talk about it.

The 4 of them settled down on cushions; there was a pause while they all waited to see who would speak first. Yuuri’s curiosity won out.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Minako didn’t seem surprised by the question. “I knew your mom had told you both about her abilities before Mari turned 11, but after Mari didn’t turn out to have any magic I decided to hold off on telling you kids. You hadn’t shown signs of magic and I worried if I told you, you might get your hopes up. Wizards are rare, and considering Hiroko was the first witch ever in your family the odds weren't strong that you'd end up with magic. Of course two years later I knew better."

Yuuri looked up, confused, "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember how I had you only come to private dance lessons for a while?" Yuuri nodded. It had been when he was 6 years old. "It began right when we started learning leaps in class. I had everyone make up their own little routine to their favorite song, and it you really got into your performance, kind of like you do now when you skate.

"You were dancing you heart out and then you jumped, and for the smallest of moments you just sort of floated.” Yuuri’s eyes grew wide, but Minako waved him down, “It was only a split second, so small that no one outside of me would have, or did, notice.

"But I couldn't let you lose control of your magic like that again, so I started teaching you privately. I said it was to help you take dancing and skating to the next level, but really I wanted to help you learn to control your magic. I figured out that if I gave you tedious exercises before your workouts, it helped you control your emotions, and focus on your body."

“But if I was showing magical ability so early, why didn’t I start school sooner? Kids as young as 7 can go for training, not with wands but…”

“I didn’t want you around that environment,” Hiroko said a bit sadly. “I remembered all too well what I went through in my five years, and I saw how younger Muggle-borns were treated when I was there, I just didn’t want you to go through that any longer than you had to.

“So Minako came up with the plan to help you learn control without even knowing you were a wizard, which allowed us to keep you in the Muggle school and let you grow up away from all that for as long as we could. It was obvious you’d be a great wizard, but we didn’t want you to feel pressured by that knowledge.”

Yuuri felt a knot in his stomach, “You were protecting me.” Both women nodded.

He searched for something to say. His first few years at Mahoutokoro hadn’t been fun; it had taken time to learn how to shut out the constant stream of prejudice around him. Had he gone there sooner…he didn’t want to think about it; and he was half-blood. How had his mother survived it as a Muggle and remained such a kind and gentle person? There was no way he could ever express the affection he felt for her in words. She was looking at him with so much pride, and he knew he was making the right choice to continue his education and pursue skating.

He was going to make her even prouder. It was his way of showing love.

But a thought struck him, and his nerves got the best of him. Blurting out he muttered, "Then my jump today, I was really into it, was that just..."

"Nope, that was all you. Once you started going to school you learned how to control your magic on your own. Might seem counterintuitive, but learning to focus your magic to perform complicated spells helps you keep yourself from accidentally using magic. That's why it's required for all wizards to attend school up until the 5th year. Mastering at least that level of magic keeps you safe and under control.”

“So if the courses from age 11 to 15 are all about gaining control over magic, what are the first four years doing?” Mari scratched her eyebrow as she spoke.

“Most of it is just basic stuff you learn in Muggle school,” Minako replied. “Reading, writing, arithmetic. No wizards can have access to wands until they are 11, so the only magic is broom riding and some simple spells done just to help channel the kid’s magical powers and keep them from accidentally using it. It’s all things you can learn in Muggle schools and at home from your parents, which is why it’s not compulsory. “

“Then why aren’t the final two years required also?” Yuuri questioned bitterly. “You certainly can’t learn those lessons at home.”

"Sixth and 7th year studies are a bit different. They are all about pushing your magic to the limit. It's much like your skating. You learn the fundamentals, how to control your body, and then you let loose, allowing your body to take the basics they know and use them to explode, as it were. It's how you can do big jumps, and why your programs are so expressive. It's actually a release of control.

"Magic is no different, really. The spells taught in the later years are wickedly complicated. They require tremendous focus, but also a lot of trust in yourself and your magical abilities, because in a way, you're just going to be letting go, and letting your magic do what it wants. You struggle with your jumps because you don’t trust yourself. NEWT level magic is going to be much the same. You need to believe in yourself to be truly successful.”

Yuuri worried his bottom lip with his teeth. Trusting himself; believing in himself. Those had always been his weaknesses. So far it hadn’t been much of an issue with his magic or his skating, but if he was going to do this, he would need to start.

Minkao smiled. “Don’t worry. You’re about to have a 5 month break from school where you can just focus on you. I’m going to help you, and believe me; you’re going to be fine.

Yuuri wanted to believe her so badly, but he couldn’t help the thoughts that crept in, telling him he wasn’t good enough, or strong enough; that he wasn’t good enough to be a skater or a top level wizard. It seemed like a lot of people were going out of their way to help him with magic, did he really have the right to ask to do both? He couldn’t help the words that slipped out.

"Is it really alright for me to continue skating?"

"Of course! I did ballet after all. Not every magical profession is all about fighting evil wizards; there's plenty of room for the arts too. After school I performed in Muggle ballets, but I'd also be hired to come perform at wizarding functions. I'd just magic my outfit a bit, or float some objects around me as I danced. It really was just an extension of my dance. My spell preference has always been charms, by the way." She smiled thinking back on it.

Yuuri had never thought of this, skating and using magic all at once. It could be beautiful, he could almost imagine it. A sliver of hope began to seep into his heart.

"Have you ever noticed how when you skate, Yuuri, that it's almost like the audience can hear the music, even when there is none?"

"I've been told that but to be honest I didn't believe it till today when I saw the video."

"What video?" It was Mari who spoke up.

"Oh right!" Minako pulled out her phone and started to play the video for Hiroko and Mari. Both of their eyes grew wide when they saw his quad-triple combination.

"I see what you mean, Minako-senpai." Hiroko breathed.

Minako nodded, "I think that you began creating music in your mind, as a way to help you express yourself on the ice, and that melody in your mind just sort of leaks out of your soul when you perform. What you see here is all without magic. But imagine what you can create when you let it out just a bit."

Yuuri closed his eyes, it was becoming clearer, skating with music and light, all coming from within, showing everyone his emotions with all of their senses as he skated, finally being able to truly express everything inside him.

He opened his eyes, Minako was grinning, "Hogwarts can help you get there. I've already asked they make accommodations for you so you can practice skating. Maybe even have a teacher observe you on occasion so you can let go and let your magic out safely, learn what you can do, how to use your two gifts together."

"Wow." Yuuri thought he'd have to chose, neglecting one part of his life to make way for the other, but from what Minako was saying he could have both. A whole new realm of opportunities seemed open to him.

"Wait a minute," Mari was scrunching her forehead, "mom always calls you senpai, but you went to Hogwarts and she went to Mahoutokoro. And you weren't born in Hatsetsu so you didn’t go to Elementary School together."

Minako nodded, "I was born in Kyoto, and my family moved here when I was at Hogwarts. We met during one of the summers when I came home. Mahoutokoro of course knew about me, so when it turned out they had a Muggle-born witch turning 11 right in my town, they decided to contact me, and ask me to come along to help explain things to Hiroko."

Yuuri's mother was smiling at the memory, "I thought all those strange men were crazy, telling me I was a witch. But then Minako-senpai makes my teacup float right in front of my face and tells me I could do that too. She tells me all about being a witch and how wonderful it was.

"But then we found out that Mahoutokoro wouldn’t allow me to continue my education pass the 5th year. Minako was furious."

"Felt like those bastards had used me. Let me promise so many things to my friend, only to take them away because of a silly blood restriction. I didn't even know the reason I wasn't attending Mahoutokoro was because my grandmother wanted to make sure I got a full education."

"So you're from a magical family?" Yuuri would never have guessed it based on how easily Minako fit into Muggle society. Even Phichit didn't fit in so seamlessly.

"I'm from the nonmagical branch of a very old magical family. Turns out my Grandmother was the first squib in over 20 generations. The family cast her out, but she still knew a lot about the magic community. She married a Muggle, all her kids were Muggles, and then along I came. She contacted the main branch of the family to try and get them to adopt me, with their help I could have continued my education, but they refused. Too much Muggle blood.

"So Grandma took matters into her own hands and worked to get me accepted to a foreign school, sighting the desire to have me trained in the west in ballet while perusing my magical education. We visited Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and even Ilvermorny before finally deciding on Hogwarts. Not only was Albus Dumbledore known to be unusually kind towards Muggle-borns, but he was also a great lover of the arts and made all sorts of accommodations for me so I could continue to practice ballet."

Minako eyes were a bit tear filled "can't believe he's been gone almost 9 years now. I can still remember his face so clearly. He used to come to the Muggle ballet when I was prima and watch me, always dressed in the most hideous Muggle clothes you can imagine," she laughed.

"Anyways, after finding out Hiroko wasn't going to be able to continue her education, I went to Dumbledore asking if she could transfer, but unfortunately it wasn't possible at the time. So I taught her a few things in secret, just some simple nonverbal spells that she already knew the basic verbal versions of. I didn't want to get her in trouble, but I figured they were useful and harmless to learn."

"Certainly useful when I'm about to drop a bottle of sake!"

The women giggled for a moment before his mother grew a bit sad and turned her eyes to him. "Minako wanted to start teaching you magic right after you first showing signs, but I was afraid. I knew you’d have to learn some day, but I just didn’t want you to grow too attached to magic. I don’t know what scared me more, that you’d be too wizard and I’d be left behind, or you’d be too Muggle and suffer like I did. I guess I went with what I was familiar with, I should have given you the choice.  I think I doubted myself and you. Maybe that's where you get it from,” she trailed off.

"Actually I think most of that comes from those morons at Mahoutokoro and their blood pride," Minako sneered. "Right before you turned 11, the director of my old ballet company got sick and needed to take a break for nearly a year. I wanted to stay and be here for you when you started school, but I owed her and couldn’t say no.

 “Hiroko told me, of course, when you got accepted to Mahoutokoro and I couldn't wait to get home to tell you about myself and talk all about magic with you. I might have left earlier, but some things came up that made it impossible. I was reassured though, hearing stories about how happy and excited you were to be a wizard, pouring over text books and practicing your wand movements with a pencil. I knew Hiroko would warn you about the discrimination you’d face, so I thought you’d be ok till I got back.

"But when I got home, you were waiting for me in front of the studio and you looked completely lost. I opened the doors, and you just walked in and started dancing. You didn’t speak to me for weeks, but you finally told me you were being bullied at school. As time went on it only got worse, and you started doubting yourself more and more. I felt like I was watching you slowly lose yourself.

"But it seemed to get better when you were dancing or skating, and then you saw Viktor and skating became this complete escape for you. You always seemed so free, and you seemed to find something in yourself there. I didn't have the heart to disrupt your sanctuary by reminding you of the things that were causing you pain. So I kept quiet. Maybe that was wrong, I still don’t know."

Yuuri looked up at her and could see the pain in her eyes. He could understand the difficulty of the decision she had to make. "Would you have taught me nonverbal spells if Hogwarts hadn't started accepting transfers?"

"Of course, but why do you think they started accepting transfers now all of a sudden?" She winked. "I never stopped harassing the school governors to change the rule on transfers. I was a bit apprehensive I wouldn't make it in time, but I got the right people to agree, and here we are."

Yuuri couldn't help himself; he stood up, moved over to Minako and hugged her tight. She really was his second mother; he didn't know what he'd do without her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really loved writing Minako, she really is an incredible witch, and she has so much more story to tell. I love her relationship with Yuuri, both in the show and here.
> 
> I meant to get this chapter out hours ago but you see, it's all Viktor's fault. He's terribly impatient to meet Yuuri and simply insisted to me last night that I write some of his story NOW. Not Monday as I had planned. And I mean, can you really say no to him? He's Viktor-Fucking-Nikiforov. Needless to say I'm excited for what's to come.
> 
> Next chapter coming in a day or two at the most. Here's a little teaser: the title is Cherry and Dragon.


	5. Cherry and Dragon

They stayed up late into the night talking. Mari had had no idea about Muggle-born harassment within the Magical community, nor had she even heard the name Voldemort, a fact which the other 3 were all extremely glad for.

“So let me get this straight. Wizards from ‘pure’ wizarding families are prejudice against people from Muggle families, even though their magic is just as strong? And that all that led to this guy Voldemort killing tons of people in Britain? How does this make any sense?”

Minako sighed. “The same thing has happened countless time over the centuries, and could happen here just as easily with all of Mahoutokoro’s nonsense about ‘only the most worthy and dedicated deserve the best’”.

This was a sobering thought. Yuuri adjusted his glasses, doing some internal math. “Minako, were you at Hogwarts when this all happened?”

“It was just beginning when I finished up. There had been rumors and whisperings, but Hogwarts was the safest place in the world, so none of us believed it would have any effect on us. Dumbledore did start looking more tired around the time though, so I’m sure he was already aware of it all. There was a particularly nasty group of pureblood Slytherins who’d go around calling themselves Death Eaters, bullying Muggle-borns and first years. Never bothered me though.”

“How come?”

Minako grinned a little mischievously, “Well, not to brag, but I was one of the most beautiful girls in school, so a lot of boys wanted to date me. There’s also the fact that I punched a 7th year in my 2nd year when he picked on one of my friends.”

Everyone’s mouth dropped open.

“I might have been small, but I did ballet, so I was strong. I figured at some point they’d try and get back at me for it though so I studied a bunch of simple curses and got really good at secretly casting them under my breath. Anytime one of those goons would come near me they’d suddenly sprout massive boils, pimples or bat bogies. I never got caught, but Dumbledore once casually commented to me that it was curious how young men seemed to have a habit of becoming so nervous in my presence they’d give themselves a nasty case of acne.”

She was grinning fondly at the memory. “I’m sure he knew the truth, but I never used my powers to bully, only protect, and no one ever caught me, so I guess he thought it was alright to let it slide.”

The door slid open then and Toshiya joined them, all the customers having either headed to bed or home for the night, their conversations turned again to Yuuri. Toshiya hugged him at the news and encouraged him to study hard. They were in the middle of discussing Muggle Studies, a subject which Mari and Toshiya found hilarious, when Minako seemed to remember something.

“Oh yeah!” She started digging in her oversized purse she had with her, finally pulling out a large folder. “The school sent me your records, as well as course syllabi for Hogwarts so I can help you shore up any areas Mahoutokoro might not have covered for you. Every school’s different you know.”

Hiroko nodded. “I remember when Minako told me about Boggarts. They’re pretty common in Europe, so all the schools cover them, but they’re almost unheard of here.”

Minako shuddered, “I really hate those things.” She paused, fingers pressed to the folder opening, “Yuuri, I just want to be sure, you don’t mind me reading these right? I know I’m assigned to help you, but it feels weird to invade your privacy without your consent.”

Yuri nodded, “Its fine.” He couldn’t help smiling a bit. Minako had always been really respectful of his privacy.

She opened the file and reviewed his grades and records, frowning slightly.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, to be honest, your grades are way better than mine ever were, especially recently. It’s just,” she sighed, “there are teacher comments. ‘Katsuki-kun continues to perform well despite his unfortunate lineage.’ Or ‘Katsuki-kun was late to class today, complaining that several pureblood students had been the cause, however no other students were reported late to class. It seems Katsuki is using his half-blood status as an excuse for being lazy.’ What the hell, who writes this crap? Your Muggle Studies teacher is the only one who I don’t want to punch right now.”

She paused. Yuuri was looking down; none of this was a surprise to hear, but still, it wasn’t nice to know everything he suspected was true. He remembered that day. He’d been cornered by several purebloods and they had used the Jelly Legs curse on him, making it extremely difficult to get to class. He’d managed a counter-curse eventually, though afterwards, he thought he should have left the curse on and just waited for help, but the thought of any students seeing him in that state was more than he could handle.

“But that’s not what bothers me most. What upsets me is seeing so clearly how much this affected you. You were a great student in the beginning, gold robes every month; then everything just starts slipping. Grades, participation, overall cheerfulness and attitude. They see all that but do nothing, just assuming it’s because you’re half-blood and it’s only natural for your performance to slip.

 “They failed to see what an amazing kid you are just because you’re not pureblood, as if that makes any difference. You have no idea how glad I am that you’re going to Hogwarts. Most people there don’t give a damn about blood. You deserve to feel proud of yourself.”

She paused, looking through the folder some more, flipping the occasional page. “I mean seriously, these scores. I know you haven’t really put the effort in since first year, but still, top 5 of your class on EVERY test. Your papers are well written and thought out.” She flipped a few more pages, “Whoa, Yuuri, did you know you got a perfect score on EVERY quiz, test and assignment you had last week?”

Yuuri shrugged. He had a feeling he’d done well when his robes changed color a few days ago, but it hadn’t seemed like that big of a deal. He’d only increased his studying by a few hours each week, and most of that was focused on exam prep. His school work had just seemed easy; he wasn’t sure anything could be harder than landing a quad.

"You'd think they would have laid off you a bit too after you got your wand."

Yuuri looked up at her, scowling a bit. He'd never told anyone about his wand, not even his mother knew its composition. “Minako…”

"What do you mean?" Mari cut him off. "Aren't all wands basically the same? I remember Yuuri saying that it's all a matter of finding a wand that comparable with you."

"Yeah, it is, but, well." She glanced at Yuuri, accusation in her eyes. "You never even told your mother?" Hiroko was looking confused.

Yuuri simply looked down, fidgeting a bit. "I hated how people judged me for being half-blood. I felt like my wand was just another thing that I had no control over."

Minako slammed down a sheet of paper detailing the composition of Yuuri’s wand. "This would have shut them up!"

Yuuri scoffed a bit, "They probably would have given me shit, asking if I could handle it, saying how it was a waste on someone with weak blood."

"Cherry and Dragon heartstring..." Mari muttered.

Hiroko gasped.

Yuuri buried his head in his hands. This is why he never said anything.

"Is that special?" Toshiya asked.

Hiroko nodded fervently, "It's considered the most powerful combination of wand and is only given to wizards with exceptional control. It's also suppose to be notoriously difficult to have one chose you. And even if one does choose you, you have to pass an evaluation to make sure you can control it. Wizards who wield them are incredibly rare."

She looked at Yuuri, beaming with pride, “It chose you when you were 11 years old, and with no magical training you passed the evaluation. It’s truly remarkable."

Yuuri blushed, but it was Mari who spoke first. “Does this mean Yuuri’s some sort of genius or something?”

Yuuri shook his head and Minako shrugged. “He’s a good student, the grades make that clear, but a wand is just a wand, really. It’s hard to really know anything yet, but in my opinion, yeah, he’s a pretty great wizard. Controlling a wand like that is difficult, and Yuuri does it like it’s just normal. It shows how strong his control over his magic is. It’s just like his skating, you might not stand out, but your fundamentals are second to none. Fundamentals and control might not be flashy, but they are key to reaching greatness. As I see it, Yuuri has everything he needs to be great at both skating and magic, if he wants it, that is.”

“I do,” Yuuri whispered. The others looked at him, curiously. “I never really believed in myself, or let myself want it, any of it. I let those kids tell me what I could and couldn’t do. But people believe me, and are supporting me.” He looked up at all of them, smiling. “So I’m going to do it, all of it. I’ll be a great wizard and a great skater. I don’t know where that will take me, but I know that’s where I want to go.”

Eventually, all the talk of Yuuri’s future settled down and the family went to sleep, Minako choosing to spend the night in the spare banquet hall they had set aside for special events. More often than not it was the sight of Yuuri’s late night sleepovers when he and his friends would stay up to ungodly hours watching Figure Skating competitions and live streams. Since Yuuko was the only girl, Minako had long been accustomed to staying up with them as a sort of chaperone, though she usually drank way too much to be any sort of positive influence. She had a futon set in the closet for just such occasions.

As Yuuri curled into his bed, he couldn’t help the overwhelming smile that spread across his face. He stared up at his favorite poster of Viktor, just visible in the muted light seeping through the windows. He would meet his idol someday, he was sure of it. Not just as a fan, but as an equal.

His mind was filled with so many thoughts and plans, but slowly, as he stared into the eyes of the man in his posters, he drifted off to dreams of a swirling ribbon of silver hair.

 

The weeks continued on, with Yuuri studying harder than ever and still maintaining his rigorous training schedule. He hadn’t tried to land anymore quads, but he practiced his triples and worked on building the strength and speed he’d need to pull off the more difficult jumps.

As luck would have it, the Rostelecom Cup was held on Yuuri’s birthday this year and the line-up included Viktor. Yuuri planned to hold his normal event viewing party, but his family and friends turned the event into a birthday party, with Yuuri’s favorite Katsudon for dinner and for dessert some adorable cupcakes decorated with silver sprinkles and candy ice skates that Yuuko had made herself.

There were a few presents:  touch screen friendly gloves from Phichit, a scarf from Nishigori (it turned out he liked to knit) and a hint from Minako that he’d have to wait a bit for her present. His family had given their traditional gift of a year-long skating pass to Ice Castle. He found himself blushing at all the attention but he had to admit he was really happy.

By the time the main event was getting ready to start, it was already late and most of the guests had retired for the evening. Yuuri and his friends dragged great mounds of pillows and blankets into the TV room, settling in to watch the competition. Minako had misguidedly entered into a drinking contest with one of the regulars and was already curled up on the floor fast asleep. Yuuri’s family was doing their usual evening cleanup before bed, which left Yuuri and his friends on their own.

“Based on the short program scores, Viktor is in 3rd,” Yuuko informed them, though really Nishigori was the only one who didn’t know. Phitchit and Yuuri both nodded anyways so he wouldn’t feel singled out. Yuuri knew the only reason Nishigori came to these parties was Yuuko. He liked skating, but he was content to watch a highlight reel later. The two had been dating throughout most of High School, but if you asked Yuuri, they’d been together since before he met them. They just seemed destined to be together.

The preshow commentary started, and the cameras showed the competitors stretching in the back. They happened to catch Viktor mid-stretch in a highly favorable pose. Yuuri couldn’t help the blush that crept into his cheeks at the sight.

After a few moments of commentary, the television went to commercial. Yuuko tugged on Yuuri’s sleeve, “Can we talk for a minute?” she whispered. The others glanced at them but said nothing.

A small pit of nervousness in his stomach, Yuuri nodded and stood, heading back to his room with Yuuko trailing behind him.

“I wanted to ask you something, but it’s personal?” Yuuko seemed nervous and uncomfortable, but committed.

“Sure, I guess.” Yuuri wondered where this was going.

Yuuko bit her lip a bit, “I was wondering if maybe you…like, Viktor.” She nodded up to the posters on Yuuri’s wall. “And I don’t mean as a fan, I mean as more. I don’t care either way!” she quickly clarified, “I just wanted you to know if you’re gay or bi or whatever, I’m totally ok with it and will always be your friend.”

Yuuri stared at her. He hadn’t expected this and was a bit taken aback, but, as he thought carefully about it, he wasn’t upset, offended or disgusted by what she asked.

Did he like Viktor?

Yuuko was shuffling uncomfortably, but Yuuri held up a hand, signaling to her that he just needed a minute; she seemed to relax at that.

“I don’t know, maybe…” Yuuri breathed out, testing the words on his tongue. They didn’t feel bitter at all. “I think I like…Viktor.” He tested them out again and appreciated the understanding and acceptance he felt from Yuuko; he’d never really looked at anyone but Viktor, never thought to put a label on it.

In his mind he saw Viktor’s hair, his smile, the way his eyes would get bright sometimes in interviews. Sure, he looked up to him, admire him as a skater, but was it more than admiration? He allowed his mind to wonder freely, turning the question over in his mind until the solid conclusion seemed to form.

Yes. It seemed so clear, the moment he truly thought about it and let his feelings through the barrier he seemed to have set-up in his heart.

“Yeah, I do, Yuuko. I think I always have, I just never really…”

“Thought about it?”

“Yeah. I think I’ve always hated labels because of…” He paused, he couldn’t explain the half-blood thing, “reasons,” her finished lamely. “But I guess bi maybe; I think I’d like Viktor no matter what he was.”

She leaned in and hugged him tight in a way only childhood friends could. Yuuri instantly relaxed. He wasn’t normally comfortable being touched, but in this moment, it felt really good. “Is it weird that I didn’t get it till just now?”

“No, I kind of figured as much. You fluctuate between being super focused on your goals, and just running away from the things that hurt you. I figured Viktor had been sort of a motivator for you, but you’d never really allowed yourself to think about your own feelings.”

Yuuri sighed, he liked this feeling. He’d never liked anyone before. Sure, he’d had a small crush on Yuuko when he was 9, but that was simple childish admiration. He’d never felt this way for anyone. It felt really warm.

“We’d better get back.” Yuuri smiled at Yuuko.

She grinned back at him. “One more thing.” Yuuri raised his eyebrows as she suddenly ducked around the corner to the hall and pulled out a cleverly hidden package Yuuri hadn’t even noticed. “Happy Birthday!”

Yuuri took it, looking at her, “But you already…”

She waved him off, “Those cupcakes were for everyone, plus they were fun to make. This is just between you and me.”

Yuuri laughed a little and carefully opened the paper. Inside was a tube protecting what looked like a poster. He carefully unfurled it and quickly sucked a breath between his teeth, “…Yuuko.”

It was Viktor, which wasn’t surprising. But was surprising was it was a fashion spread, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt, his pants tight with the top button undone, allowing a small peak at what was underneath. They had clearly been going for raw sex appeal.

They nailed it.

Yuuri felt his mouth go dry. Viktor was 16, nearly 17 now, yet it was apparent he was truly reaching adulthood. His chest was defined with lean muscle, and his face was set in a look that made Yuuri’s toes curl. His long silver hair was falling just over his shoulders, making Yuuri long to run his fingers through it, twist them in his locks and…

“Do you like it?”

Yuuri gulped, making Yuuko laugh. “Yeah, I like it.” He blushed, “Shit, if I hadn’t already figured it out, I guess I would have after seeing this.”

They both giggled. “Well, I kind of figured you were, but I didn’t want to assume! This would have been a really awkward present if you weren’t, you know!”

“It’s still really awkward!” Yuuri exclaimed, aware of a tight feeling in his gut that was seriously embarrassing if he thought about it too hard.

“Well, you can stare at it all you want tomorrow, let’s go watch the real thing now!” She winked and Yuuri nodded, carefully setting the poster down on his desk. He wanted to hang it up right now, but he’d need his wand for that and doing it in front of Yuuko would break about a dozen laws and definitely freak her out.

He also wanted to hang it someplace where his family might not notice it, but he could still see it. Preferably from his bed.

He didn’t want to think about the reason why too hard right now.

The rest of the evening passed easily. Nishigori fell asleep long before Viktor skated, and Yuuko and Phichit barely hung on, eyes heavy with sleep as the 16 year old gracefully stepped onto the ice.

Yuuri was wide awake. Acknowledging these feelings he’d had inside for years, finally giving them a name, it felt like a part of him had just clicked into place. Maybe love (or lust) was another part of his life he’d shut out for himself after years of believing he wasn’t good enough.

He’d certainly taken care of his urges, but he wondered if he’d ever really put a face to his thoughts. All he could remember thinking of now were long strands of silver hair. He nearly smacked himself for being so dumb, how could he not have realized? It was painfully obvious to him now.

Viktor had reached his starting position and was posed to begin; as the music started he began to move, and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile how much had changed in just a few weeks. “ _I’m coming Viktor,”_ he thought. _“I’ll catch up to you soon.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri is going to do terrible things while looking at that poster. ;) Very happy that Yuuri ended up bi, it wasn't my original intention, but the more I thought about his character the more right it seemed. #BisexualityIsValid
> 
> In planning out Yuuri's character I decided that Yuuri would have a Cherry and Dragon heartstring wand because it just felt perfect for a Japanese wizard. Then I looked up the wand lore and was completely gobsmacked by how perfectly it fit his character. Here's the quote from Pottermore: "Cherry wood often makes a wand that possesses truly lethal power, whatever the core – though if paired with dragon heartstring, the wand ought never to be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind." I think giving him this wand gives a lot of insight into who Yuuri is and what his future holds. He might doubt himself now, but he's not weak. Wizards have a relationship with their wands, and I can just imagine Yuuri's wand giving him strength when he needs it most. Yuuri has a very strong heart, even if he doesn't see it just yet.
> 
> It'll be a few days before I update again (Friday most likely), but I should have several chapters ready next weekend. Yuuri and Viktor will be meeting very soon and we'll be heading to Hogwarts. There's lots of surprises in store.


	6. Dancing Teacups

Yuuri spent much of the next 3 months studying. Minako’s studio had turned into a late night magic classroom, where he practiced all manner of hexes, charms and enchantments that were sure to pop-up on his OWLs.

If he wasn’t studying, or practicing magic, he was working his body with rigorous workouts and grueling dance classes. His feet were eternally sore these days, being abused daily both on the ice and off.

He took only took a break from his efforts for the Grand Prix Final. Viktor took Bronze, further motivating Yuuri to keep working hard.

He wondered if anyone else noticed the look in Viktor’s eyes as he stood on the podium. Most people would only see his cheerful smile, but Yuuri could tell that he was dissatisfied, already calculating what steps to take before The European Championships and Worlds to insure a higher placement.

Yuuri spent most of the month of December studying. He had discovered, thanks to Minako, that his practical skills in Defense Against the Dark Arts were pretty low. He was sure he could ace any part of the written exam, but other than some basic shields and counter jinxes, he seemed woefully unprepared. If he had been staying at Mahoutokoro it would have been less of an issue. He could easily get an Acceptable, but Hogwarts required an Exceeds Expectation to continue on in the class, and would no doubt hope for an Outstanding in order to acquire the scholarships Yuuri required.

That would be a challenge.

Fortunately Minako had a plan. After assessing all his skills, she focused solely on Defense Against the Dark Arts. It turned out that despite her preference for Charms she was quite adept at Defensive Magic. He also learned that she had not been joking about her curses; after an hour of hard skating, 2 hours of grueling dance (pole and ballet), she instructed him to cast protective shields to stop her curses. Already exhausted he’d barely managed to deflect the majority of her spells and wound up with boils in unmentionable areas that took days to heal, despite some medicinal creams.

“How did Dumbledore get off letting you call that defensive and protective cursing?” He grumbled at her days later. “I haven’t been able to sit properly in days and you’re still making me dance on that fucking pole!”

Minako was snorting into her hand; not at all sorry to be causing Yuuri discomfort. “Language Yuuri," she chided. "But your shields are way stronger now.” She winked and Yuuri grudgingly agreed.

Mari had also begun to show more interest in his magical training than ever before. She insisted it was simple curiosity, but Yuuri suspected the prospect of him leaving home for the next two years was a major motivating factor. They were spending far more time together, Yuuri practicing his Transfiguration Magic, and Mari tossing out random suggestions and challenges to test him.

“Make the tea cups grow legs and do a dance.”

“That’s Transfiguration and Charms!” Yuuri complained.

“So?”

He made the cups grow legs and do a little dance that looked a bit like ballet, though it was hard to tell without arms.

 

Christmas arrived, and his family celebrated the holiday quietly, mostly working since the inn was swarming with tourists looking to enjoy the hot springs over the Christmas and New Years holidays. Yuuri spent the days before Christmas watching the Japanese Nationals with Minako and then staying up unreasonably late to watch live streams of the Russian Nations. Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder if he could possibly be ready to compete in the Japanese Nationals by next year. He didn’t know if he could win, but maybe, just maybe he could make the podium. That would be a big step forward towards skating on the International level.

Phichit returned to Japan after a short visit home for the holidays with good news. His parents had managed to secure a skating coach for him and Yuuri. In fact, they had out done themselves and managed to find a professional level coach looking for some new students after their current skater got injured.

“His name’s Celestino. Normally he works out of a rink in Detroit, but he agreed to coach us here in Japan, at least until summer. He seems really nice; he said both of us have really good footwork.”

“What about after summer?” Yuuri wondered aloud.

“Not sure, I guess that’s when his other skater comes back, so we’ll see.” Phichit shrugged.

Their coach’s arrival brought with it some of the most brutal practices either boy had ever faced. Yuuri had always thought Minako was intense, but Celestino wasn’t messing around either. After the first night of practice Phichit swore he’d never walk again. Yuuri was exceptionally glad he lived at a hot springs. After a week of hard training, school began again – though Yuuri had a lot more free time than Phichit did. With his exams close at hand and 5 years of perfect attendance, he had a bit of flexibility to skip classes. His Muggle Studies class took place during first hour twice a week, and with a little convincing, his teacher allowed him to skip once a week (as long as he continued to do his homework and kept his grade up), which allowed him an extra long run first thing in the morning.

Other teachers were less flexible, but he was usually able to convince one or two of them a week to let him skip out early after a test or quiz.  Most of his teachers didn’t like him, but the closer they got to exams, the more his classmates were choosing to self study, rather than attend class, making it hard for any teacher to deny him his requests to leave early, especially when his grades were by far the best in the class.

As soon as he’d escape the classroom, he’d Floo home and quickly change into his skating clothes and make for the rink, and, despite his irregularity, Coach Celestino was always there.

“Good Afternoon Coach,” Yuuri greeted him one afternoon.

“Yuuri, I’ve told you to call me Ciao Ciao!”

Yuuri grinned. The man had seemed like a demon at their first practice, but he turned out to be a kind and friendly man. Yuuri quickly stretched before lacing up his skates and beginning his warm-up routine on the ice.

“I want to see your quad today, Yuuri.”

“Yuuri skidded to a halt, “Really?” He hadn’t even attempted one since before his birthday.

Celestino nodded. “Minako showed me that video of you doing one. You should have no problem after your workouts these past few months. My biggest worry is your mindset. When you’re thinking too hard you tend to flub your triples.”

Yuuri nodded and began skating slow loops of the ice. He knew if he thought about attempting a quad too hard, he’d over think it, so he let himself imagine Victor’s Free Skate. He had changed it up at the Russian Nationals and had surprised everyone by winning Gold by a massive margin.

Yuuri’s mind drifted off and he could feel himself casually going through the movement, letting his body flow until he felt himself step into the jump. That moment before he launched his mind panicked just a bit. He knew it wasn’t going to be as good as his first one, but it wasn’t terrible either. He focused, holding his posture and letting his body continue the rotations.

He stayed up a long time, much longer than he anticipated.

When he finally came down he teetered slightly off balance, two footing the landing. He quickly looked at Celestino, “Was that enough rotations?”

Celestino nodded, “What happened just before you took off?”

“I thought about it.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah…” Yuuri muttered sheepishly.

“Only one solution for that. Do more of them. Lots more. Once your body learns it can do it, your mind will accept it.”

Yuuri spent the next hour practicing the Quad Toe Loop again and again. He fell a lot, but slowly, he began to stop panicking before he took off, and he needed less lead time to get his mind ready to make the jump. Soon he was making his attempts after just a lap or so of the rink. He still wasn’t clean on his landing, but he felt a lot better about it by the time Phichit showed up.

“Good work Yuuri.” Celestino commented while Yuuri grabbed a drink of water while they waited for Phichit to finish changing. “I think we’ll keep doing that on your early days. Couple of weeks and you should be pretty solid on the jump and we can add it to the program.”

“Will I learn any other jumps?”

“Maybe once you’re out of school. My worry is throwing off your current jumps by pushing too fast for more quads. Better to just have one really solid quad then a couple of shaky ones. We’ll just have to see how it goes. I think our main goal this spring will be getting your programs ready. It’d be good to do some local competitions to build your confidence before Fall. You’ll need to do at least a few qualifiers if you want to go to Nationals.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to with my new school starting in the Fall.”

“Do you want to go pro, Yuuri?”

Yuuri looked up at him, surprised. “Yes, of course I do.”

“Then you should work it out with your school. You have the potential to compete on the International level. You should do what you need to do to chase that. I looked it up, it’s only 2 competitions in the Fall, and if you hit the podium at Nationals you’ll go to Worlds. That’s a huge opportunity. You’re good enough to do it.”

Yuuri’s mouth dropped open. “You think I could go to Worlds?”

He nodded, seriously. “You’ve got almost a year to get ready. It’d be good to do some small competitions over the summer, just to get your name out there a bit and build some experience, but yes, you could go.” He grinned a bit, “Your nerves will probably destroy you at Worlds and you’ll do terribly, but that’s ok. Our goal for now should be a good showing at Nationals and a ticket to Worlds. That kind of experience is invaluable.”

Phichit finally returned from the changing room and practice began, but Yuuri couldn’t help but imagine going to Worlds as early as next year, skating on the same ice as Viktor in just over a year.

 

By the time March came around, Yuuri had more drive than ever. His exams were in a few days and Minako had assured him he was more than ready. He’d also been consistently landing his Quad Toe Loop for a couple of weeks, giving him a huge boost of confidence.

The night before his exams began he had lain in bed staring at his hidden poster of Viktor, contemplating what it would be like to meet him. For the first time, his dream didn’t seem outlandish.

He slept surprisingly well under Viktor’s watchful 2D eyes, and he entered his exams feeling calm. Each day contained a series of exams, both written and practical, and by week’s end Yuuri was exhausted. He had taken the week off from practice, only lightly skating for an hour each night to keep loose and calm his frayed nerves after each test. Finally, as he completed his last exam it hit him, this was the end.

He looked around his school; he’d genuinely hated the place, but he’d met Phichit here, and he had learned a lot. There were also his friends in Muggle Studies. He always focused so hard on the bad things that he often forgot to look at the good. He found his feet taking him to his old Muggle Studies classroom, one last time.

Mahoutokoro wasn’t the perfect place, but it had given him this chance, he supposed he’d be grateful for that.

He was suddenly jostled rather violently from behind. He turned and spotted the faces of the 3 biggest asshole purebloods in his grade. “Have fun being a Muggle, Katsuki. Doesn’t matter how good you did on those exams, the best you’ll ever do is a Janitor in this place.” They laughed mirthlessly and Yuuri felt his blood boil.

“Actually I shouldn’t have any problem getting a job. Top grades on my OWLS. NEWTs from Hogwarts and a Cherry and Dragon heartstring Wand? Pretty sure I’ll have job offers flying at me much faster than a bunch of morons whose dad paid to get them past the 3rd year.”

He’d never talked back to anyone here, and seeing their faces now, he wished he had sooner. Their slack jawed looks were priceless. Grinning, he turned on his heel and headed towards the fires.

“Petrificus Totalis!”

“Protego!” He’d anticipated something, his wand ready in hand, the shield charm Minako had taught him on his lips; it was almost too easy. The bully’s spell ricocheted off his shield, blasting back at the caster sending all three of them careening into a wall. Yuuri didn’t bother checking if they were knocked out or just surprised. Someone would be along shortly after hearing the commotion, and he had no intention of being there when that happened.

He entered the Main Hall, took one last look before grabbing a handful of Floo powder and heading home, one last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be out tonight or tomorrow, and it's where the story will really start to pick-up. Thanks for reading and sticking with me so far.


	7. Two Owls

With exams complete, Yuuri was at the rink every day. Worlds were fast approaching and he couldn’t help but wish he were a year older. They were in London right during the Easter break (according to Minako). Just a year older and he could have gone, but he was still 16, couldn’t Apparate, and wasn’t living in the UK yet.

Yuuri finally got to experience what the life of a professional skater was really like: grueling. Minako and Celestino were relentless, drilling him with daily workouts, skating and dancing; not to mention nightly training sessions in magic with Minako. Yuuri fell asleep almost every night staring up at his favorite poster of Viktor wondering if his body would ever not hurt again, and wondering how the skater could look so relaxed when he was facing this same rigorous training; minus the spell work, of course.

He didn't mind it though; something about working his body to its limits felt extremely satisfying. There was also the knowledge that all the work had already begun to pay off. His Quad was solid, and slowly he and Celestino were pulling together a short program based off his routine he had created that first time he’d managed his quad. He didn’t tell Celestino that it was inspired by Viktor. It was probably a bit stupid, but it felt really natural to Yuuri to skate in response to Viktor, and he supposed it was as good a place as any to start.

They were waiting until after Worlds to make any decisions on his Free Skate. Again, Yuuri didn't tell Celestino, but he secretly wanted to see Viktor’s final version of his free skate and let it inspire him for his own program.

He was obsessed, he could admit it.

The truth was since coming to terms with his crush on Viktor and his sexuality, he'd felt a lot more confident. Being honest with himself seemed to have unlocked a part of himself he didn't know he’d been holding back. Outwardly nothing had changed, but in his heart, he felt a newfound sense of freedom.

Two weeks after exams, he pulled Phichit aside after practice. "I'm bi."

Phichit opened his mouth but Yuuri continued, cutting him off, "I'd only told Yuuko, but you're my best friend and you do so much for me; it didn't feel right not being honest with you. It really doesn't change anything, at least for me; I just wanted to be honest."

Phichit blinked slowly and then grinned. "About time you told me."

"Huh?

"I've kind of known for ages. I mean I didn't know but I knew. You've been in love with Viktor as long as I've known you. Never bothered me." Phichit smiled kindly.

Yuuri grinned and hugged his friend, "Thanks for understanding, Phichit, it means a lot, really."

"No problem, just make sure that once you get to Worlds, meet Viktor and make him fall in love with you, you tell me all about it."

Yuuri snorted, "No promises, besides, I doubt Viktor is gay."

Phichit shrugged, “I guess you’ll just have to find out.”

The two friends snorted and jokingly made plans for how Yuuri would stealthily try and determine if Viktor went for guys. Phichit suggested pole dancing for him, a thought which made Yuuri blush all the way to his ears.

 

A month after the exams, it was the day of the Short programs at Worlds and Yuuri was spending the day helping his mother and Mari in the kitchen when Minako suddenly sprinted into the inn.

"What's the matter Minako-senpai?" Hiroko asked after spotting her.

Minako looked around, searching for something. She scrunched her face. "Uh, nothing just really hungry..." Yuuri stared at his teacher who stood in the doorway panting; something was up.

"Yuuri, look!" Mari tugged on his sleeve, pointing at the window.

Outside sat a large, black owl, tapping lightly on the window sill; not only that, but a second owl, this one a beautiful snowy owl, was in the process of landing beside it.

Yuuri wasted no time, yanking open the window and relieving each bird of their burden, before offering them water and owl treats. He wanted to rip into his envelopes but he felt it would be rather rude to ignore the birds who'd worked so hard bringing them to him

They both hooted appreciatively (Sora hooting back in greeting) before flying off.

Yuuri tore into the first letter.

  

Yuuri blinked, unmoving. He felt someone move his hands but didn’t react.

“Holy shit Yuuri, 8 Outstanding OWLS and 1 Exceeds Expectations! This is fantastic!” Minako was hugging him, soon followed by his mother and Mari surrounding him in a tight squeeze. The kitchen was filled with squeals of delight.

Yuuri continued to clutch at the paper, staring at it, unable to really process this.

“Come on Yuuri, open the other envelope!” Minako shrieked.

This brought Yuuri to his senses as he ripped open the other envelope, noting the swirling green ink on the outside.

 

 

 

 

> _Dear Mr. Katsuki,_
> 
> _Congratulations on your excellent OWL results. I have been in close contact with Mahoutokoro since you first contacted me and received your OWL results this morning. I was most impressed by your scores._
> 
> _As a result, I am pleased to offer you admittance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy as an NEWT Transfer student. Term starts September the 1st. Based on your results you are approved to continue in all subjects._
> 
> _In regards to Alchemy, we normally do not offer this course; however, interest seems to be particularly high, especially from Transfer students, so we anticipate offering the class. However, we will not have a final decision until the release of all OWL results, which should occur sometime in July. We shall contact you at that time with our decision._
> 
> _Further, due to your exceptional results I have been approved to offer you a scholarship in the full amount of the cost of tuition. This scholarship is a great honor, and would not have been offered to you had you not proven to be an exceptional student._
> 
> _We are excited to welcome you to Hogwarts, Mr. Katsuki._
> 
> _Best,_
> 
> _Professor Sprout_
> 
> _NEWT Transfer Student Liaison_
> 
> _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

It was like an explosion had gone off. Cheers and shouts from his family and Minako surrounded him, the hugging growing even tighter.

Yuuri became aware of a wetness on his cheek. He reached up and realized they were tears.

“I did it,” he whispered. The thought sank in and he fell to his knee, great tears of happiness flowing from his eyes, gripping the parchment carefully in his hand, reading the words again and again, heart overflowing with joy.

He had done it.

Vicchan must have come into the room because he could feel his warm tongue on his cheeks, happily lapping up his tears. Yuuri felt so happy and excited he could barely breathe. Everyone was crying and it was a long time before any of them calmed down enough to speak again.

“You knew, didn’t you, Minkao?” He smirked remember her out of breath expression.

“Yeah, Professor Sprout contacted me through Floo and told me the Owls should be arriving any minute now.”

Yuuri grinned at her, “Thanks for all your help. I’m pretty sure I could produce that Patronus Charm you were showing me the other week right now.”

Minako laughed. “Let’s practice tonight. Hold onto this feeling…actually, “she rifled through her bag, Yuuri silently wished she’d do a better job organizing it, she always seemed to be searching for something in its depths.

“Ah ha!” She pulled out two envelopes. The first had the same swirly green writing on the outside as his Hogwarts letters had. “First bit of news is they’re going to be converting one of the unused dungeon classroom into a skating rink for you.”

“Wait, seriously?!”

“Yup. Apparently a couple other transfers from Durmstrang and Koldovstoretz requested it also. Winter sports are a big deal at both schools, so they seemed to think it was worth setting up. Professor Sprout said one of the students even suggested a skating club and several Hogwarts students said they’d join when asked. Apparently it’s a big deal and people are really excited.”

Yuuri beamed. Just having a place to skate was amazing, but having a way to help him make friends was a really calming feeling. He couldn’t help be feel a bit nervous considering how difficult of a time he’d had at Mahoutokoro. A weight he hadn’t know was there lifted from his shoulders.

Minako separated the envelopes and handed him the second one. It was thoroughly Muggle looking and he glanced at her questioningly. “Your Birthday gift. Sorry it took so long to get it, but this timing is pretty perfect.” She grinned like some sort of overgrown cat.

Yuuri carefully opened the envelope and looked inside. There were several small slips of paper, pulling them out he narrowed his eyes, looking them over. As his eyes roamed over the stubs, they grew wider and wider, mouth falling open.

“Tickets to the World Championships Men’s Free Skate?!”

He could almost see Minako mentally patting herself on the back. “Yup! Had an old friend track them down for me. Wickedly hard to get this year with all the excitement over Viktor. Tried to get both days, but this is all they could manage.”

“But how will we get there, its tomorrow and in London!?”

Minako laughed. “Apparition, silly. I’ll just take you with me, no big deal. Plus, they sent me a list of your school supplies so we’ll spend the night and buy your books and robes and stuff the next day.”

“Minkao…this is, it’s too…”

“Perfect?” She winked.

Yuuri grinned. “Thank you Minako-sensei.”

“I already let Celestino know you’ll be away for a few days, so you’d better work your butt off today. Stay up as late as you can tonight, we’ll be leaving in the late afternoon, so you’ll want to do what you can to accommodate the time zone change. Oh, and make sure you bring a poster or something for Viktor to sign. We’ll make sure to wait for him at the exit after the competition. It’d be a shame to get to meet him and not get an autograph, right?” She grinned.

Yuuri was a bit overwhelmed, he would get to see Viktor in person and maybe even meet him. “Do you think I can bring some flowers as a present?” It wasn't nearly enough to properly thank the man for everything he'd done for Yuuri, inspiring him for so many years, but it was all he could think of at the moment.

“Sure, we can stop by a florist on the way to the rink. There will be plenty of time after all.”

Yuuri nodded, realizing his whole body was shaking with excitement. "Maybe we should practice that charm now, Minako." He beamed.

Minako nodded, "we only have an hour till your practice and my students arrive so let's hurry up then."

They spent the next hour practicing, but the best Yuuri managed was a sort of misty cloud that he was sure wouldn't do much of anything. During skating practice Celestino was forced to work him twice as hard as normal just to curb his excited energy enough so he could actually practice. Yuuri was having a really hard time focusing on anything other than getting to see Viktor in a little over a day.

The official story for Celestino and Yuuri’s Muggle friends was that he and Minako were leaving right after skating practice and flying all night to make it in time. Yuuko and Nishigori were a both lamenting the loss of their traditional viewing party. Phichit was also upset, but more so because he had a huge paper due the next day and wouldn't have been able to watch anyways.

"I'm so jealous Yuuri!" Yuuko moaned, "You’ll get to meet Viktor!"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Phichit muttered with a pencil between his teeth, reading what looked like an ordinary Muggle textbook, but Yuuri knew was actually one of their magical textbooks, charmed to fool Muggles. Yuuri had had to write this same paper last year and felt for Phichit, but not as much as he would have if he didn't know Phichit had been procrastinating on it for over a week.

After practice was finished, Yuuri headed home and turned on a live stream of the World Cup short programs. Minako texted him around midnight to let him know she'd be Apparating over to his house in the afternoon and to stay out of sight so their story held up.

Smiling, Yuuri allowed himself to daydream about the coming day, while watching a lot of skaters that weren't Viktor perform their programs. It was nearly 3am when Viktor finally performed. Yuuri watched, ready for the familiar program to begin, but as Viktor skated Yuuri couldn't help but notice something. There were subtitle changes, and something about it called to Yuuri. Like it was made for him.

"That's stupid," he thought. Viktor had no connection to him, Yuuri was just one of thousands of faceless fans; but as Viktor’s Quad Toe Loop turned into a Quad Toe Loop-Triple Flip combo, Yuuri couldn't help but wonder if somehow Viktor was calling out to him.

Yuuri slowly drifted off to sleep, vaguely hearing the final placements after the short programs, which had Viktor in 4th, and Yuuri couldn’t help but hope he’d get to witness Viktor surprising the world with his skating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri best boy!
> 
> I could not get the OWL results to format properly so I was forced to use an image. Let me know if they don't show up.
> 
> Thanks to all of you who left comments, they really help and make me want to write faster! Next chapter is gonna be huge - both in plot and length. Currently double the length of the other chapters. It should come next weekend, but if I have some efficient writing days early in the week I'll get it to your sooner. I am so excited for you all to see it!


	8. Blue Roses

Yuuri woke up just after lunchtime. Vicchan was quietly snoozing beside him and he couldn't help but lay in bed a few extra minutes, petting the happily snoring poodle behind the ears a bit.

After a while he moved out from under the covers and quietly began sorting through his closet, packing a change of clothes in his backpack, along with a few necessary toiletries to get him through the overnight trip.

He also spent quite a long time looking at all his posters, deciding on which one would be best to ask Viktor to sign, if he got opportunity that is. He was sorely tempted to bring the poster Yuuko had given him, as it had become his favorite, but in the interest of not totally outing himself on their first meeting, he decided on the poster that featured Viktor in his Free Skate costume from the previous year. He carefully rolled up the paper and placed it in a small tube, before packing it into his backpack, the end protruding out at the top a bit.

Busy work done, his excitement began to turn to nervousness, and he deeply longed to go for a run to calm down, but knew he had to stay put, lest Celestino saw him. Apparating was convenient, but he realized now that it could also be a hassle when you lived alongside Muggles.

After a while he went into his family's kitchen where his mother stood at the stove busily cooking. "Good morning, dear. I made you a bowl of Katsudon. It's on the table." Yuuri thanked her and began to dig in. He technically wasn't supposed to eat the delicious food since he was still struggling with his weight, but he supposed this was his mother's way of congratulating him on getting into Hogwarts.

"I'm making you and Minako some rice balls to take with you as well since you'll have a long day ahead of you."

"Thanks mom." Yuuri smiled, then nearly choked when Minako popped into the kitchen without any warning, her bag barely missing Yuuri’s head as she spun in out of nowhere

"Morning! Oh, Katsudon!" She sat and began eating from the other bowl sitting on the table as Hiroko chuckled, wrapping up the last of the rice balls and sealing them inside a large bento. She handed it to Minako who slipped it into her Chanel purse. Yuuri realized the purse must be magiced because Minako didn't have any other luggage. It would explain why it was always so hard for her to find things inside.

They finished their meals and talked for a while before Minako deemed it late enough in the day that they could head to London. "We'll be arriving in a wizard pub that sits right on the boundary between Muggle and Wizarding districts. They have rooms for rent there so that's where we'll spend the night."

Yuuri nodded, standing as Minako motioned to him. "Make sure to hold on tight to my arm."

"Have fun you two!" Yuuri saw Hiroko wave for a split second before he twisted, feeling his body squeeze as if shoved through a very small tube, the air sucked from his lungs; until suddenly the air was back, and his feet were on solid ground.

"That was awful."

"You get used to it. It's worth it when you can do things like this." Minako grinned.

Yuuri took a moment and looked around the Pub, following Minako as she led them out of the small alcove they had Apparated into. The room was dimly lit and mostly empty, though there were a few people eating what looked like breakfast. It smelled delicious and he couldn’t help but long to sample some of the meat and eggs. He'd had western food before, but only a few times. He was eager to get to try it again.

Minako was speaking to a man at the counter who Yuuri couldn't see clearly in the dark, but who seemed kind enough as he greeted Minako. Yuuri moved forward, noticing the older man's toothy grin, which seemed to be missing a few teeth. "Your room will be ready for you tonight, and I’ll make sure to have some fresh bread and soup sent up when you return, in case you're out late."

"Thanks," Minako smiled, speaking in English. "That’ll be helpful.” She waved, the man smiling after her, as they made their way towards the front of the bar, "That's Tom, he's been working there for ages. This place might not look like much, but the service is always second to none." Minako led them out of the bar and into Muggle London outside.

Yuuri couldn't stop turning his head. He had never been to a city like this; everything was so different, though he did not find that he disliked it in the least. They passed modern skyscrapers flanked by buildings that Minako informed him were hundreds of years old.

Soon she led them down a set of stairs to the underground, purchased two tickets and swiped them through the turnstiles. They got lucky and the train Minako said they needed pulled up right as they got to the platform. Yuuri looked at the rail map but couldn't make sense of it until Minako showed a different map that had all the rail lines shown over a view of the city.

"We're here," she said, "and over here is the palace, the British Museum is over here, and Hyde Park."

"What about the Big Ben?"

"Over here," she pointed, "right next to Parliament." She smiled, "you should plan a trip to visit London for a few days with some friends next summer. I'm sure they'll be at least a few students from London who would be happy to show you around.

"Won't I need to be practicing? If Celestine wants me to qualify for Worlds this year, no doubt he'll want me working toward the Grand Prix next year."

"Probably, but you can take a few days off for a little tour of London. It's good to get a broader perspective after all. Besides, once you’re done with school you’ll have a lot of freedom to travel for international competitions, no harm in starting early."

She furrowed her brow a bit, "I know you'll be alright this year doing worlds and school, but it might be a challenge doing any competitions beyond Nationals in your seventh year."

Yuuri nodded, but he figured he could make that decision later. This whole thing was uncharted waters for him, after all.

A few minutes later they arrived at their station, and Minako led them out into the street. In the distance Yuuri could see what was unmistakably the arena. He began to walk a little faster before Minako caught his sleeve. "It will be about an hour before we can go in, so let's get some tea while we wait." She nodded her head in the direction of a cute little tea shop and bakery, whose window were full of pastries that made Yuuri's mouth water. He nodded eagerly and followed Minako inside.

They stepped up to a small counter where Minako ordered them some tea and a scone for herself. Yuuri decided on a fat éclair topped with chocolate that honestly looked like the tastiest thing he'd ever seen.

We'll, second to Katsudon of course.

The settled down at a small table and nibbled on their pastries while a staff member brought them a pot of hot water and some tea leaves. Soon they were sipping the warm liquid and Yuuri had to admit this was a great idea. Everything thing here felt so foreign, but the tea was good, a blend he'd not had before, but there was a familiarity in the action that calmed his nerves.

Yuuri became aware that there must be an upstairs to the tea shop when he heard a group of people coming down the stairs speaking a language that was neither English nor Japanese. They were all around Yuuri’s age. The first was a red haired woman in a red and white jacket, followed by a man with short, cropped brown hair and all black clothing; and the third was a small blonde boy who was wearing a blue, red and white jacket which Yuuri recognized was part of the Russian skating team's uniform at the same time as he head the boy say "Viktor" followed by many angry sounding words Yuuri couldn't understand.

He looked at Minako and she grinned, whispering in Japanese, "It’s the Russian team! I think the blonde and the Redhead are still Juniors, but the brunette is part of the Men's senior team. Don't think he made it into the competition though, they only sent Viktor and an older skater who is suppose to be retiring."

Yuuri briefly glanced at them again, but quickly turned away when he noticed the blonde boy looking at him at the same moment; he had probably heard Minako say Viktor and looked over, Yuuri thought. The skaters left a second later and Yuuri couldn't help the excitement inside him.

Minako seemed to pick up on his mood and quickly flagged down a waitress to get two to-go cups for the rest of their tea before they headed out towards the stadium. Yuuri caught himself looking for the Russians, but it seemed they had either already made it to the arena, or had gone another way. The competition wouldn't start for a while yet so there was really no reason for them to be there this early.

"Hey Yuuri, you wanted to get flowers right?" Minako's voice pulled him away from his thoughts, she pointed at a small flower shop just around the corner on a small side street close to the arena. Yuuri couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten. He nodded and the headed over.

Minako was quick to purchase several roses to throw individually for her favorite skaters. He could hear her slowly ticking off her favorites under her breathe trying to keep count, "...Viktor, Christophe...JJ..." Yuuri secretly thought she should just buy one for every skater since she loved them all.

He looked around, wondering what would be best to give to Viktor. Bouquets were nice but there would be so many of them. Yuuri wanted his gift to stand out enough that he'd be able to recognize it if Viktor was holding it in the Kiss and Cry.

But everything seemed so normal, it didn't suit Viktor. He saw a wreath and it looked interesting, and tons of roses of course. Most of the really interesting flowers where in pots rather than bouquets, and that would be a safety hazard to throw onto the ice. Yuuri was about to settle for the roses when an idea struck him. He looked over at the shop keeper, "How many roses do you think I'd need to make a crown?"

Minako lifted an eyebrow but said nothing. The shop clerk thought for a moment. "Probably about two dozen." She explained briefly how to do it and offered to thrown in the other items he'd need. It seemed pretty easy; Yuuri imagined it would be even easier with magic.

Minako paid for the items, telling Yuuri how much it was in Yen and he handed her the money, thanking her for acting as his bank teller. He hadn't even thought about needing a currency exchange. They left the shop, but Minako headed deeper down the side street, "If you're going to magic that you'd better do it back here. They'll be too many people by the arena now."

Yuuri nodded and muttered a quick spell to braid and secure all the flowers. Once it seemed set he muttered another simple charm and soon all the roses were a beautiful shade of blue. They would match Viktor's costume perfectly. He smiled at his work before carefully setting the crown back inside the bag the shop attendant had given him. With a nod, he a Minako took the long way back to the main road (as to avoid passing by the shop again) and slipped into the queue to enter the arena; within a few minutes they were in the doors and in their seats.

The competition wouldn't begin for more than an hour, but already some of the early skaters were already stretching out and warming up along the sides of the rink. A few were on the ice, taking turns for a quick, early warm-up; there was no sign of Viktor.

They took turns heading down to the various vendors who were selling merchandise for the event and skaters. Minako simply gave Yuuri several 20 pound notes so it’d be easy for him to navigate the unfamiliar currency. They had an exclusive Viktor poster that he had to get, as well as t-shirts, hats, key chains, postcards and flags. Yuuri opted for one of the t-shirts and as well as the poster. He probably wouldn’t wear it out of the house, but it’d be nice for sleeping in.

He headed back to his seat and handed Minako her change, she quickly calculated the exchange rate and Yuuri handed her the cash before she headed off to check the stalls herself. He was glad he’d been saving all his pocket money for new Worlds merchandise and for anything he might need at Hogwarts. All his neighbors knew about his skating and were calling him with odd jobs they needed doing, helping him earn quite a bit of extra cash.

Minako returned some time later with a large bag in hand. “I’m guessing you didn’t see this so I picked it up for you. Consider it an early Birthday present.”

Curious, Yuuri peeked inside. It was a Viktor Nikiforov body pillow, his free skate costume on one side, and his short program costume on the other. Yuuri blushed furiously. “Where did you find this?”

“You probably only went to the official booths, but there were a few unofficial ones right outside the gates. I spotted this so I popped out to grab it.”

“Isn’t there no reentry?”

She shrugged, “They didn’t seem to have a problem with it.” Yuuri knew she was lying, first of all because she had a smug look on her face, and secondly because her wand was sticking out slightly from the pocket on the inside of her coat. He pointed at it and she quickly tucked it back inside.

After a while the ice was cleared and cleaned, and the first skaters made their way out onto the ice for the 6 minute warm-up. Announcers in the booths were making comments that Yuuri could only just hear, and barely understand. With all of the noise around the stadium, it was difficult to understand the swiftly spoken English.

But one word cut through all that noise, at the same time as something silver flashed into his vision that cut through all the visual noise of the stadium, “Viktor Nikiforov.”

He stood just off the ice, with a man in a long wool coat and a fedora, listening to the man who seemed to be his coach while he stretched his limbs. Yuuri thought the man seemed rather grumpy by how he practically barked commands, but Viktor didn’t seem to mind. His face was set in concentration.

A cameraman moved closer to Viktor and his face quickly morphed into a grin as he waved at the camera for a moment until it moved away, his face instantly setting back into its focused look. Yuuri was vaguely aware of the competition starting, but he couldn’t remove his eyes from the Russian’s face. He looked confident and focused, and Yuuri vaguely wondered if he could ever possess even a fraction of that strength.

After a few minutes, Viktor’s couch ushered him back into the skaters’ preparation area, out of sight of Yuuri and the crowd.

Finally, Yuuri could focus on the ice.

It was a long competition, as skater after skater progressed through their Free Skate. Yuuri and Minako snacked on their rice balls after about 15 skaters, and it wasn’t till the 10th place skater emerged that Minako said anything. “I think this guy is about your level.”

Yuuri blinked, watching the man. He seemed better at jumps than Yuuri, but his footwork was a bit sloppy. His presentation score would surely to be lowered for it. “You really think I’m on the level of the 10th best skater in the world?” he whispered.

Minako nodded, wincing when the skater flubbed a triple axel, a jump that Yuuri was now flawlessly performing; it had become his favorite jump. He liked its difficulty, the way you had to perfectly set your body suited Yuuri’s style.

Yuuri heard a scoff coming from behind him at the jump and glanced over his shoulder. It was the blonde Russian from before. The boy noticed Yuuri’s look and glared at him, causing Yuuri to quickly turn in his seat.

He wondered to himself who the skater was, thinking he might take a look at the Russian team’s website when he got home, when heard his named called.

“Yuri!” it was followed by a lot of Russian. Yuuri looked around and saw the redhead from before making her way towards the blonde boy who was responding to her now in what sounded like especially cranky Russian. Yuuri braved another peak to see the blonde glaring daggers at the girl for a split second before she pulled a plush cat toy out from behind her back.

The boy’s face instantly melted as her grabbed the toy. Yuuri had to turn around quickly or else he might laugh. So his name was Yuri too; he’d definitely have to look him up when he got home.

The competition continued on until finally, the warm-up period for the final 6 skaters arrived and Viktor took to the ice. He would only need to wait for 2 skaters before he’d skate, so it was likely he’d stay by the ice until it was his turn.

Viktor was slowly circling the ice with the others, idling going over some footwork, until he suddenly started pushing harder, setting up for a jump. It was a perfect triple flip, but there was something about it.

“That was too high,” Minako muttered.

Yuuri nodded, “It’s almost like that was the set-up for a quad flip, but he purposefully held back the rotations.”

The Russians behind him were muttering too, though it didn’t seem like anyone else noticed the odd jump. Yuuri could tell Viktor was pleased with it, and his coach seemed happy (though it was hard to tell) as well.

“Do you think he could actually be going for a quad flip?” Yuuri looked at Minako.

“It’s possible. He’s been hinting that he’s working on a new Quad. He’s got the Toe Loop and the Salchow, I would have thought he’d go for the Lutz. The flip is pretty crazy, but if he pulls it off…”

She didn’t need to finish the thought. Viktor’s program had been getting better and better all year. He’d been flawless, and he had started raising his arms during his jumps to make them more difficult. He was biting at the heels of the Gold Medalists at every major competition, only just missing. If he added a Quad Flip now, he might do more than podium, he might win.

The 5th place skater, a man name Christophe, who Minako was cheering for louder than ever, took the ice. Viktor cheered for him as he skated big loops around the rink, the man smiling back in a friendly manner.

He was young, with blonde hair that curled on top of his head and was cut short at the bottom, giving it a two-toned appearance. He began his program, and Yuuri could instantly see the young man’s talent. He had this innocence on the ice, but it seemed like he was struggling with some other part of his character that was threatening to come out and totally overthrown this image. But his moves really stood out to Yuuri; his blades moved effortlessly, with skill to rival Viktor’s. His youth was apparent however, as he flubbed a couple of jumps, under rotating one and having to put a hand down on another. He increased the difficulty of a jump later in his program (according to Minako) which made up for some of the loss, but it wasn’t enough, as his score only placed him high enough for second. With 4 skaters to go it was unlikely he would make the podium.

And then Viktor was on the ice, and the crowd grew silent, expecting. He looked peaceful, but Yuuri thought he saw a bit of nerves as he shook out his limbs slowly circling the center ice.

Without realizing what he was doing Yuuri suddenly shouted, “Viktor, Ganbatte!”

Yuuri’s face instantly turned bright red and he slapped his hands over his mouth. The man on the ice looked up, surprised, but smiled. Suddenly, as though they didn’t wish to be outdone, the Russian team (they had been joined by the brunette man) all screamed, “DAVAI!”

Viktor was laughing now, his eyes twinkling as he looked at their section while taking his place at center ice. All signs of nerves seemingly erased. Viktor took his starting position and the music began.

It was like the stadium emptied for Yuuri, and only he and Viktor remained. He was sure of it now more than ever, this program called to him. It felt like a dance where partners were each dancing apart, but in response to each other.

But why him? He knew his devotion to Viktor’s skating was strong, but this went beyond that, it felt so personal.

After an opening step sequence and a series of difficult, tight spins, Viktor moved into his first Jump, a Quad Toe Loop-Triple Flip combination. ‘Why had he added this combo?’ Yuuri thought. Viktor’s movements continued, his blue and white costume sparkling, with the thin and nearly transparent sleeve accenting his arm, which he trailed behind him beautifully as he moved step to step. Yuuri was mesmerized.

And then the second half of the program began and Viktor moved into another jump. He seemed determined, like he had something to say as he took off, and then his body spoke for him.

A Quad Flip. The first anyone had landed in competition ever. Yuuri gasped in surprise. The stadium erupted in applause and Yuuri screamed with them. The Russians were losing their minds behind him.

“A Flip!” Minako screamed.

Viktor seemed to be smiling, his body screaming with joy, and Yuuri knew, this was a love song. The feeling this program gave was the same feeling he had when he first realized his crush on Viktor. It was the high flying feeling when you discovered someone you wanted to fall in love with. It was pure joy, and Viktor was showing it so clearly with every move.

He followed the flip with a few more steps before a Quad Toe Loop, spinning and moving until finally finishing the program with a beautiful Quad Salchow right into a Death Drop before finishing the program with a blindingly fast Scratch Spin before coming to a stop, arms outstretched.

The stadium erupted. Yuuri could barely think but suddenly felt something in his hands and saw Minako placing his crown in his hands. “Quick, get down there and you might get to give it to him yourself!”

Yuuri didn’t need to be told twice, racing down the stairs, carefully cradling his creation, until he got to the barrier and held out the flowers. Viktor’s back was to him as he bowed, but then he swung around to bow at Yuuri’s section and their eyes locked.

Viktor completed his bow and then skated directly for him; Yuuri thought his heart might stop.

“Is that for me?” He was smiling and Yuuri nodded, swallowing thickly. Viktor’s smile grew bigger and he lowered his head. With shaky hands, Yuuri carefully placed the crown on his head. Viktor straightened, “Does it look good?”

Good was an understatement, Yuuri thought. “Yeah, it does,” he said softly.

Viktor beamed, “Thanks for cheering for me!” And then he was off, grabbing a Poodle plush from the ice before heading to the Kiss and Cry, waving as he exited the ice.

Yuuri stood dumb founded for a few seconds. It had only been a moment, but he had met his idol. His finger had even grazed his hair. He dumbly made his way back to Minako who laughed at him. The stadium was still in an uproar as everyone waited for the final scores.

Finally the announcer’s voice came on, as everyone held their breath.

The scores flashed on the screen, but all Yuuri saw were the read letters “WORLD RECORD!”

If Yuuri had thought the stadium was loud before, it was nothing to now, as the entire crowd screamed in response. In the Kiss and Cry, shown on the Jumbotrons over the ice, Viktor was screaming, jumping and waving at the audience. His gruff coach was even cheering, a huge smile on his face.

He was in first by a huge margin and he was still wearing his crown. Yuuri’s heart grew tight in his chest. How could two days in a row be so perfect? He had gotten into Hogwarts and Viktor had broken the world record with a monster Quad Flip that they were showing on the screens again and again.

The final skaters performed, but Yuuri didn’t even notice, his eyes never leaving Viktor who was giving interviews in the press area with the biggest smile on his face Yuuri had ever seen; the bigger he smiled, the more heart shaped it became.

Minako elbowed him. She was holding an ear bud with her phone outstretched. Viktor was on the screen. Yuuri quickly shoved the ear bud in his ear. “So Viktor, you looked a little nervous at first, were you planning to do the Quad Flip from the start?”

“Yes, but you’re right, I was nervous. But then the sweetest fan cheered for me, followed by my teammates. It really helped me relax. That same fan gave me this crown after my skate! Isn’t it pretty?”

The reporter nodded and Yuuri blushed, Minako smiling as she listened with the other bud.

“What was your inspiration for the program?”

“I saw a video online of a skater. I think they were just having fun, but it was really beautiful! I borrowed the Quad Toe Loop-Triple Flip combo from them, and it just seemed to inspire me. I started modifying my program in response ever since. You never know what will inspire you, but whoever that skater was; I hope they know how grateful I am to them.”

“There was no name?”

“There might have been, but I couldn’t read the language. Maybe I’ll find out someday.” Viktor was smiling and Yuuri felt a prickle in the back of his mind. He used to look at skating videos all the time, but he really hadn’t watched much amateur footage since applying to Hogwarts. He wondered who the skater was. He had to admit, he was jealous. He’d always felt like Viktor’s programs were somehow for him. Hearing that he’d been inspired by another skater…he didn’t like that one bit.

But at least Viktor had liked his gift, and he was sure he was a better skater than some random guy on YouTube. He was going to prove it. He’d make Viktor watch him, and only him.

Eventually the final skater finished, and after a long pause their score went up with the number 2 beside it. Viktor had won. His first major Senior International Gold.

The crowd went wild and Viktor’s image was thrown up on the screens again, the young man crying tears of joy as he waved to the crowd and hugged his coach. Suddenly two blurs of color flashed across the screen into Viktor as the blonde and red headed Russian flew into him grabbing him into a hug. The brunette man was right behind him, as were the other Russian skaters, soon forming a pile on top of Viktor as he laughed while being embraced by his teammates and countrymen.

Yuuri watched as through the entire celebration and all through the medal ceremony Viktor never removed his crown of roses. His smile, as he waved to the crowd with his medal around his neck, was bright enough to light an entire room.

By the time it was over his hands and throats ached from clapping and cheering. Minako led Yuuri outside toward one of the back entrances. There were many, with fans scattered at each, and different skaters at each one. The one they went to was a bit hidden and only a few fans lined the barriers.

"Minako, are you sure they're using this entrance?"

"Yep, don't worry. Here," She handed him his poster out of his bag and a marker, for which he thanked her.

“Japan’s skater managed to land in the top 10, though only just.” Minako commented. “That’ll mean 2 slots for next year’s Worlds.”

Yuuri gritted his teeth. He would need a silver or better finish at Nationals, and if he was being honest with himself, he’d need a gold. While the JSF usually used the Nationals rankings to select their skaters, they weren’t required to. Yuuri was an unknown entity. He’d have to prove he was worth the risk.

Suddenly, the doors opened in front of them and the 3 Russians emerged, followed closely by Viktor, in a red and white jacket the blue roses still on top of his head. The fans all around Yuuri cheered, and for a moment Viktor merely smiled and waved, but then he is eyes caught Yuuri's and he came over to the barrier.

He shook a few other hands before speaking, "Hello again! Autograph?" Yuuri nodded and handed him the poster and pen. "Ah, this is my costume from last year!"

Yuuri nodded. "I really liked that program. It inspired me a lot."

Viktor smiled. "I'm glad, now, who should I make this out to?"

"Oh! Um...Yuuri, with two u's." A blush crept up his cheeks.

Viktor chuckled, "Ok, Yuuri with two u's." He winked and then started writing. Along the bottom he wrote the date, followed by ‘First Quad Flip, First World Cup Gold Metal, First Senior World Record-FS’. Yuuri watched in awe as he continued to write, in bigger letters in the blank space near his own face. He was muttering quietly to himself as he wrote, "To my favorite fan, Yuuri (with two u's). Your support means the world to me." He drew a heart and signed his name before handing the pen and poster back.

Yuuri was in the middle of sputtering thank yous (and Viktor was smirking at him) when a shout tore their attention away from each other. "Viktor, hurry up!" His coach yelled, obviously impatient.

Viktor sighed, and shrugged, seeming a bit put out, "Well, thank you again Yuuri. Be sure to come see me skate again, da? Bye bye!" And he turned and headed back to the car.

"Congratulations!" Yuuri called back and Viktor turned his head, grinning his heart shaped grin back at him, before turning back to the car.

Yuuri turned, ignoring the press of the fans still struggling to get Viktor’s attention and made his way back to Minako; it appeared she had finished gathering their items; she hadn’t stowed most of them in her purse afraid of some Muggle noticing.

Yuri picked up a few of the bags and they set off, neither of them noticing when Viktor gasped, jumped back out of the car, and ran back to the barrier. Nor did either of them notice the frown that formed on his face as he watched their backs disappear around the corner, or the way his fingers trailed up to the roses on his head, curiously stroking one of the petals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! They meet at last! Lots more surprises in store. I hope you like what I have planned for these adorable dorks.
> 
> Chapter 9 should be up tomorrow, they'll be in Diagon Alley, so look forward to that. Lots of wizard stuff (finally). I finished chapter 10 last night and I am super excited about it. It went places I wasn't expecting (but good, I think) and I really want to share it as soon as possible. Unfortunately for you, I need to finish chapter 11, and maybe 12, before I can do that. If I manage some solid writing tonight you might get it this weekend. We'll be going to Hogwarts very, very soon.
> 
> As always, thanks for the comments, they seriously make such a big impact on me. The world is pretty shitty right now, and your comments help bring me back when my mind's gone a bit dark. I hope this fic helps you deal with the bad stuff just as much as it's helped me.
> 
> Please enjoy!


	9. Silver in the Alley

They arrived back at The Leaky Cauldron a bit after supper time. The rice balls had kept them satisfied most of the day, but now as they carried their many items up the stairs, Yuuri could feel his huger and weariness begin to take hold over his body. He might have slept in, but his body was quite certain he had stayed up far too late for his own good.

True to his word, Tom had a fresh loaf of bread and a big crock full of hot soup waiting for them. The soup contained big chunks of potato, onions, bacon and cheese; and the bread was warm and soft on the inside, with a pleasant crunch on the outside. Yuuri thought it might be one of the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten.

Minako patted her stomach, “Ah, I missed English food! Such hearty soups.”

Yuuri nodded, “It’s good, but Katsudon is still better.”

Minkao laughed before heading off to the bathroom for a hot shower and to change into her sleeping clothes before bed. Yuuri knew he should do that same, but couldn’t help but unfurl his poster first. Viktor’s signature gleamed up at him, and he couldn’t help but focus on that adorable heart before it.

He had been so nice, and really, really cute. Yuuri had always thought of Viktor as handsome, beautiful or sexy; but today he’d seen a new side, an adorable one at that. Yuuri couldn’t get the image of Viktor’s heart shaped smile out of his head. He unlocked his phone and looked for pictures from the event until he found one from the celebrations in the Kiss and Cry. Viktor’s smile was huge, and he had his crown on his head. Yuuri quickly saved the photo before setting it as his wallpaper and lock screen.

With one last look at his poster, Yuuri rolled it back up and carefully set it into its tube, gathered his things and readied for bed. By the time he returned from the washroom, freshly showered and teeth clean, Minako was already asleep. Yuuri quickly slipped under the covers of the second small bed, and within moments, with a smile on his face, he slipped off to sleep, dreams filled with blue roses and silver hair.

 

He woke in the morning to the sounds of London. It was early, but it seemed to be a reasonable time for waking as the sun was up, but not particularly high in the sky. He sat up just in time to see Minako returning from the bathroom, "Perfect timing, Yuuri. I was just about to head down for some breakfast, want to join me?"

He nodded, "Yeah, just give me a minute to get ready." He grabbed his backpack and headed to the bathroom to change and try and tame his hair. When he exited, it was to find Minako already waiting, purse in hand. "Do you need me to help carry our things?" Yuuri asked.

"I got it." She winked and indicated her bag.

Oh right, her purse was a veritable black hole. "I guess that will make shopping easier."

She nodded and led him down the stairs to the dining room. Within seconds of sitting a set of tea cups, a kettle, and an assortment of teas floated over to them. Yuuri selected a green tea, while Minako chose an Earl Grey, with a generous touch of milk and sugar.

A waitress wandered over and offered them some food, pointing to a board above the bar with the available selections. Minako selected an omelet and fruit, while Yuuri chose an egg scramble with sausage and hash browns.

Less than an hour later, stomachs full, they made their way out the back entrance of the pub to a small alley where Minako tapped a few bricks with her wand to reveal an archway onto a busy street bustling with witches and wizards of all sorts.

Yuuri was delighted at the sight, and couldn't help but swing his head this way and that, trying to take in the entire place at once. Japan had magical villages and towns, but nothing like this crowded shopping district.

"Let’s see," Minako pulled a sheet of parchment out of her bag and looked around for a moment after reviewing the list. "Let's start with the boring basics like ingredients for you Potions and Alchemy kits. Then we'll do robes and books, your wand is fine and you don't need a broom, so that's all we need to do. Might as well hit up the joke shop while we're here, Phichit would like some of them. But first things first, we'll need to head to the bank and get you some money. British Wizards don't exactly accept the Japanese Yen after all."

Yuuri nodded, still and bit too overwhelmed for words. They headed down the street to a large, marble building. Inside there were rows of desks, covered in all manner of treasure, being carefully counted and measured by grumpy looking goblins. A witch with a badge identifying her as a Ministry Employee was flitting around helping the many wizards inside, looking thoroughly harassed.

"Voldemort and his supporters were pretty awful to the Goblins here at Gringotts. They were always hard to deal with, but whatever trust they had in Wizards was pretty much destroyed after all of that. Because of it they're pretty impossible to work with so they have Ministry Wizards act as liaisons, taking people's requests and then delivering a request form to the bank employees. It keeps things moving and prevents unnecessary tension."

Yuuri nodded, grateful for Minako's presence. He had been curious as to the system and probably would have annoyed someone asking. They made their way through the line before they came close to one of the desks with a particularly grouchy looking Goblin.

Suddenly he looked up and his face completely changed. "Minako!" He cried out, "what are you doing here? I haven't seen you in years!"

"Bilfird! My goodness, I can't believe you are still here!"

The Goblin chuckled, "Well, a lot of the young ones left after all that business so they needed me." He waved them over to his desk, the Ministry employee looked about to protest, but clenched her jaw with one look from the Goblin.

"How is your wife? Does she still go to the Ballet?"

"Oh yes, though she laments that you are no longer dancing. You always were her favorite." He answered kindly before looking at Yuuri with curiosity, "Is this one of your pupils?"

"Yep!" She clapped an arm on Yuuri’s shoulders, nearly making his knees fold. "I've been training him since he was a kid, but he's a figure skater actually. We just came into town to watch the World Cup yesterday." She grinned before speaking in a carrying voice, "He was just accepted to Hogwarts as a Transfer student with a full scholarship! And he's turning pro in figure skating, so he's sure to be even more amazing to watch then I was."

Yuuri blushed furiously, wishing he could just dissolve into the floor. People were staring at him, murmuring to each other from behind their hands.

The Goblin looked excited, "Oh my, that does sound exciting! Perhaps next summer he could hold an exhibition! My wife and I would buy tickets in a heartbeat!"

"We'll see, we'll see!" Minako chuckled. Then she continued in a more normal voice, "That's why we're here, of course. He's going to need to buy his school books and things, so we'll need to exchange some money. His parents run a Muggle business so we'll need to convert from Yen."

Bilfird nodded, "That's no problem, no problem at all. Let's see, I have a chart here..." he fumbled with some papers, "ah, here it is. This is an estimation of the costs of buying supplies for Hogwarts, you just select the items you need and the currency, and then it'll tell you how much to convert. Of course you'll also probably want to add a bit of extra pocket money for treats and tricks in Hogsmeade."

He was already ticking boxes with his finger as Minako consulted the booklist. After a few minutes of debate they came up with a figure and Minako handed the Goblin some money that Yuuri's parents had evidently given her, and the Goblin returned her a pouch full of coins, briefly explaining to Yuuri their named and value.

Yuuri took the pouch and thanked the Goblin.

"Oh no problem! If you ever need anything you just come see me. My wife and I are big fans of the arts so serving you is the least I can do!"

After several goodbyes, and promises to see each other later, Yuuri and Minako exited the building, amid whispers from several wizards as they passed.

"Well that was unexpected." Yuuri breathed.

"Yeah, Bilfird is a good guy. He knew my Grandmother before me, so he's always helped me with my banking. I'm just glad he was still around."

Yuuri nodded, "Did you really have to be so loud when you told him about school and figure skating?"

"Yep. I'm proud of you and I reserve the right to brag." She grinned unapologetically.

Yuuri swallowed but said nothing.

They made their way to the Apothecary, which was filled with barrels of ingredients and a rather distinct odor. Minako spoke with the merchant and soon had several packages of ingredients shoved into her bag.

Next stop was Madam Malkins Robes for all Occasions. She was a bit surprised to find they were there for Hogwarts robes, but delighted nonetheless. "I had no idea I'd be seeing a transfer student so soon! Welcome, welcome!" She ushered him up onto a platform and began taking measurements. "Now let's see, you'll need the whole uniform, robes, socks, hat...do you need dress robes? Not sure if they'll have a dance this year, but it seems likely with the transfer students coming in?"

Minako answered for him, which Yuuri was grateful for since he wasn't entirely sure what she meant by dress robes. "No. He's got a Kimono for formal occasions."

"Oh my, I bet that looks lovely on you, dear. I can't help but hope they do throw a ball just for all the variety in formal wear from all the transfer students. It'll be a lovely sight I'm sure." She sniffed a bit at the thought.

"Now then, just one more thing. We've started offering Mugglewear, basically school clothes in Muggle styles that are charmed." She tapped on the crest on the chest of a sweater, turning it from a Hogwarts Crest to a simple H. Then to a jacket which said 'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry' on the back, changing it to say 'Hogwarts School for the Gifted' and then again to simply show a simple crest. “It’s all customizable of course.”

Yuuri looked around at the Muggle items. Most looked a bit simple, or like they would be better suited to an adult that a teenager, but then he spotted a hoodie that looked absolutely normal. Madame Malkin noticed his glance and moved to it. "You can change the lining to be the color of your house," she tapped it turning it yellow, blue, green and red. "The crest on the back can be turned to your house crest, Hogwarts, a simple H or be blank, and the same with the one on the front. It really is well suited to whatever the situation calls for."

Yuuri nodded, "Yes, I'd like one please. Do you have light gloves as well, or windbreakers? I'm a skater and I use that sort of gear a lot. It'd be nice to be able to wear school colors while I practice." He blushed a bit but both women smiled and set to work. Soon, he and Minako were out the doors with several uniforms, as well as gloves, a scarf, and the hoodie. They didn't have any windbreakers but Madam Malkin said she would get the Ministry to get her some Muggle ones and she'd get them added to the shop. She also was very interested in Yuuri’s touch screen friendly gloves, and said she’d try and stock those soon.

"It's hard for them to adjust," Minako commented after they left the shop. "The Ministry kept them apart from Muggles for so long. Most folks have no problem with them; they just aren't used to it. But the new Minister is an ex Auror, dark wizard fighter, and he really advocates for more Muggle understanding, so people are doing their best.”

Yuuri nodded as they made their way to the Bookstore. “Look around and see if there are any you’d like, I’ll talk to the shop keeper about getting the books on your list.”

He thanked Minako and headed off into the stacks. He’d never seen so many books in a shop before. Mahoutokoro had a small shop to buy books at, and occasionally he stumble upon a magical book shop when he visited Tokyo, but nothing like this.

Soon, he found the magical history section and found several titles that interested him: _Modern British Magical History, Hogwarts a History,_ and _A History of Muggle Relations in the Western World and Why We Must do Better!_

There we books on Magical Creatures, Spells, Hexes, Omens, and Divination. Yuuri had never put much stock in Divination, but he’d heard that it was taught by a Centaur at Hogwarts, and that would certainly be an interesting class. A shame he couldn’t take it now.

He made his way towards the Potions section, and was buried deep in a fascinating book, _My Day With Felix and Other Stories from a Life of Potion Making by Horace Slughorn_ , when he saw something silver flash in the corner of his eye. He didn’t even think before rushing forward and rounding the corner. There was no one there. He could have sworn a sheet of long silver hair had flown past the corner of the self.

He shook his head. That was impossible. Viktor was a Muggle, there was no way he’d be in Diagon Alley. He must be seeing things. Despite the sleep he got the night before, the time zones were still affecting him and he felt pretty worn out.

He took the 3 history books he’d chosen and headed to the front of the shop and back to Minako. He gathered she’d finished purchasing his books by the large package she was currently shoving in her bag. Yuuri placed his purchases on the counter and after turning over a few gallions to pay for them, added them to the pile within Minako’s bag and headed back out to the street.

“I got an Owl order form for your Alchemy book since we won’t know what it’s called until summer.”

They made their way among the shops, taking a peak at the magical pets (Yuuri preferred Vicchan), buying some jokes at the joke shop (a family operation from the looks of things, all of the employees had bright red hair), and glanced in the window of a ancient looking wand shop.

They were just passing Quality Quiddich Supplies when Minako grabbed his arm, "Yuuri look!"

He turned back and saw, quite literally squished between two buildings, a small annex the seemed to have been added to the Quiddich shop. A small sign proclaimed the shop: "Quality Sporting Supplies" There were other small signs on the windows: _The Perfect way to get to know your Muggle neighbors!_ and _Football, the world’s most popular sport!_

As they entered the building, Yuuri saw something that made him gasp. There, off to the side, was a figure skating section, adorned with a poster of Viktor. _Figure Skating, sport meets art! Easy to appreciate even if you don't understand the details,_ the sign above it read.

Minako was cooing over some self securing Ballet slippers, _A perfect fit every time. Extra cushioned toes for an easier pirouette_ , so Yuuri made his way to the skating display alone. There were videos and guides and lots of basic skates for beginners, but there, under Viktor's poster was a pair of skates that made Yuuri’s mouth water.

_Professional skates, made with fine, hand stretched leather. Comes with fitting charm for the perfect feel. Self sharpening blades mean you're always ready to practice. Easily removed, Muggle blades included for competition ready skates._

They were easily the nicest skates Yuuri had ever seen. "Those are just in, do you skate?" The shop keeper was smiling kindly at him.

Yuuri nodded, "Yes, I'm planning to compete in the upcoming season."

The clerk looked excited. "Really! Will you represent England?"

"Uh, no, I'm Japanese."

"Oh that a shame, but it's still great. Wizards in Muggle sports will really get others excited about them and that makes it easier for most folks to interact with Muggles. Shared interest and all. What's your name?"

"Yuuri Katsuki, sir."

"Yuuri, alright, I'll be watching for you and make sure to get your poster up just as soon as I can get one. Nikiforov is popular, but having a wizard up would take it to a whole ‘nother level.

“So, would you like the skates?"

Yuuri struggled to keep up with the man’s quick moving speech. He looked at the price of the skates and did some quick calculations in his head before nearly gasping at the cost. They were expensive.

"The company sent artisans work in the Muggle skate creators to learn how to make them. The boots are fashioned after SP-Teri's KT-3s, and the magical blades are based on John Wilson Gold Seal's, identical to the real ones." He opened the box and showed Yuuri the two included blades side by side. He couldn’t tell which was which. “The Muggle ones feel a bit cooler to the touch,” the shop keeper showed him. “They’re real Gold Seal’s of course.”

Yuuri was impressed. These were some of the best money could buy, but still, they would cost more than 150,000 yen.

"Tell you what." The shop keeper was thinking. "You got a proper camera?"

He meant a wizarding camera. Yuuri had no idea if his family owned one.

"Yep!" Minako chimed in, a pair of ballet slippers in hand. "I'm one of his coaches, I've got one."

"Well then, takes some photos for me. What's the best jump you can do?"

"Quad toe loop for now, working on the Salchow."

He nodded. "Yeah, get some good photos for me, in costume if you don't mind. They'll help me sell more. Do that, and I'll knock 50 gallions off the price. You start winning, send me photos, and I'll send you more gear. Whatever you need."

Yuuri felt his mouth drop open. "T-that's um..."

"Now now, Yuuri here is going pro. He’ll definitely be at the Japanese Nationals this year, and probably next year’s Worlds. He’s going to be a big deal. There’s no skaters like him in the Magical world. But in order to do that, he needs the best skates right? And you say pictures are good for business, but isn’t it even better if they know where he got the skates from? I mean, signs in the shop help you sell skates, but word on the streets gets them in the door."

The shop keeper looked at her, “You mean he’d tell the Prophet and stuff about my shop?”

“Of course, but I was also thinking we could put a badge on his coat. Something that can pass as Muggle enough so no one would question it, but every witch who sees him is going to want to stop by this shop and buy their own pair of skates after they see him. I mean just look!”

She pulled out her phone and showed him some photos of Yuuri from a small competition he’d done in March. He had worn just a basic black shirt and pants, but had slicked back his hair and forgone the classes. The photos showed him doing his jumps and some spins, his spin curved attractively.

“Yeah…” The man rubbed his chin with a hand, “I’d reckon he’ll be real popular with witches for sure. Fair amount of the wizards too.” He winked.

“Alright, the skates are free, but you tell everyone where you got them, and you keep a patch on your warm-up gear from my shop.”

Yuuri was stunned, “Free! Seriously? I c-can’t, I wouldn’t”

"Perfect." Minako smiled. “Let’s get some of these patches so I can get them on his gear.”

Several minutes later, a new Quality Sporting Supplies EST. London badge adorned the shoulder of his Hogwarts Hoodie, which he was now wearing. Yuuri clutched the skates to his chest, still stuttering his thanks to the shop keeper who called down the street after them ‘Give ‘em Hell, Yuuri!”

They continued up the street, Yuuri’s eyes wide, heading for the Leaky Caldron where they’d apparate home. _I got my first_ sponsor, he thought.

Perhaps if Yuuri hadn’t been in such a state of shock he might have noticed the silver haired man watching them walk out of the shop, but as it was, he simply traveled up the road, not seeing the man’s face curve into a heart shaped smile, watching Yuuri’s back go down the road with the word “HOGWARTS” in bold letters upon it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes on the Skates. I did a lot of research on skates and currencies to come up with some decently accurate prices. I wanted to go as authentic as I could since Yuuri would care about these things.
> 
> These are the boots: http://spteri.com/products/kt-3?variant=1078451304 They are recommended for quads and triples. They are considered by many to be the best fitting skates available.
> 
> These are the blades: http://www.johnwilsonskates.com/products/gold-seal They are apparently extremely popular in Russia, so it’s pretty likely Viktor also uses them.
> 
> Total price comes to just over $1400 which is around 157,000 yen, and approximately 190 gallions. As a note, if you check the wiki, the Yen conversion rate by their math is 124,000, but using current USD to JPY conversions (thank you Google), it comes out to 157,000.
> 
> Since the skates come with two pairs of blades, the cost of the skates is effectively $2100.The Muggle blades are authentic, whereas the second blade and boots are Magic made, so I figured they could make them for half the cost using magic, making their price the same as an equivalent Muggle Skate. Plus, they probably did some fancy paperwork and became a “dealer” of the Muggle blades, getting them at a lower price. We'll just call is some mathematical magic.
> 
> Thus concludes the solid hour I spent researching and doing math to create accurate, magical skates. Worth every second.
> 
> I wanted to get you guys Chapter 10 this weekend, but I'm still sorting out some details in chapter 11 so it won't make it today. Hope this chapter is enough to satisfy you until next weekend.
> 
> Final note, when I started writing this I had zero intention of doing a ball scene, but after realizing Yuuri's dress robes would totally be a Kimono...yeah...there's gonna HAVE to be a ball scene.


	10. Machine of Change

It was already late when they arrived back at Yutopia. Mari and Hiroko were still up and waiting for them in the kitchen, a light dinner of fish, salad and rice waiting for their arrival. Yuuri sunk into a chair, his new skates beside him as he slowly ate his food. It might not be Katsudon, but his mother’s cooking never disappointed.

Meanwhile, Minako unpacked their purchases, showing off the pair of body pillows - Viktor for Yuuri and Chris for herself (he hadn’t even realized she’d bought one for herself), Yuuri’s poster and t-shirt, as well as the dozen or so packages containing all of his school supplies.

“You’ll need a trunk to carry all this with you to school. I’ve still got mine so I’ll clean it up and drop it off later.”

Yuuri thanked her while carefully unwrapping his books, showing them to Mari who was fascinated by the contents. His mother seemed more interested in his jacket. “What’s Quality Sporting Supplies?” she questioned?

“Oh, they’re the shop where I got my skates…”

“They’re his new sponsor.” Minako cut him off.

“SPONSOR?!” His mother and Mari cried out at the same time. Vicchan yipped in surprise from under the table where he had been sleeping; he eagerly padded over to Yuuri for some comfort and to welcome his friend home. Yuuri curled himself against the poodle, letting Minako handle the explanations, suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the past 3 days all come crashing in on him at once.

He had skates and a sponsor. He was going pro. He was going to Hogwarts.

Yuuri could feel panic rising inside him. There were so many expectations on him suddenly. Could he live up to them? He wasn’t Viktor, he wasn’t that strong! He was just ordinary, boring Yuuri. A dime-a-dozen figure skater. There was nothing special about him, if anything there were only bad things. He was a coward, timid, and nervous. He would flub jumps over the tiniest things. He was overweight and had big glasses, totally undesirable.

It felt like dark, sticky hands were dragging him down, like he couldn’t breathe, like he couldn’t move. He had to fix this. There was no way to fix this, he was broken, he broke everything. All these people relying on him, he would let them down, drag them down…

Vicchan nuzzled against him, his warmth breaking into Yuuri’s mind.

Yuuri closed his eyes and curled his fingers into the poodle’s soft, curly fur, resting his face on the top of the dog’s head . He took several deep breaths, focusing solely on his loyal companion; the way his sides moved when he breathed, the warmth coming from him, the gentle nuzzling as he tried to get closer to his master.

Slowly, Yuuri felt himself come away from the growing pit of darkness in his mind, breathing a small sigh as he gradually returned to the present. Looking up into the face of his beloved companion, he whispered a soft "thank you" to the loyal pup. As he looked up, he caught sight of the box with his skates.

He was exhausted, but he was immediately struck with the overwhelming urge to skate. He stood and announced, "I'm going to practice." The women waved, telling him to have fun and promising to take his items to his room. He carefully clipped Vicchan’s leash on the poodle (he couldn't risk the pup running off in the dark) and headed out the door. He felt better, but he took comfort in the warm press of the poodle moving against him.

The walk was pleasant and cool. Vicchan calmly walked beside him, happy for the outing. There was no one around, and Yuuri felt his mind begin to ease. “I met Viktor, Vicchan. I really met him. He was so nice and friendly.” He sighed, “I know I’m a dork Vicchan, but I really like him.”

Vicchan yipped at Yuuri as if to say “Yeah, but you’re my dork” and the two happily continued on their way. They approached Ice Castle, which was definitely closed, but Nishigori stood outside, yawning a bit, unlocking the doors.

“Your mom called.” He said simply, handing the keys over to Yuuri. “Just drop them in the mail box when you leave.”

“Thanks!” Yuuri grinned and waved as Nishigori headed back home. His family owned the rink and his house was just a few doors down. Yuuri used to feel bad coming after hours, and would always call first. They had told him year ago not to worry about it and to just knock on their door. He still usually called and asked first. but if he ever forgot, his mom always seemed to cover it for him.

He smiled, realizing it was more proof of the quiet support that surrounded him. He needed to thank them.

He entered the building and flipped on a few lights, grabbing the dog bed and blanket they kept in the office for Vicchan and brought it out to the benches. After setting it down, Vicchan happily curled up, tail wagging. Yuuri carefully covered the poodles body with the blanket. He didn't know how long he'd be and he wanted Vicchan to be comfortable.

He needed his friend with him right now.

Yuuri sat on the bench and carefully opened the box, removing the paper to reveal his skates. There was small print on the bottom of the lid.

_Self Sizing Boots_

_Put on and lace boot as you normally would. Wait 1 minute before skating while boot conforms to your foot. Then engage in light skating for up to five minutes to allow for further fine adjustments. After the initial adjustment they will be ready for regular use, but will continue to adjust to your needs for up to 1 week._

Yuuri slipped on the skates and laced them up as best he could, they were quite large.

The moment he’d tied his last knot, the skates immediately began to shrink and form, curling around his toes and the ridges of his foot until, true to their word, a minute later they felt just as fitted as any normal pair of skates.

He stepped over to the barrier and removed the blade guards before stepping out onto the pristine ice. It was instantaneous. The boots began to adjust all around his feet, tightening up in the places where he needed more support, and loosen in those spots where they felt they might chafe. He even noticed a bit of additional padding form in the places where the bottom of his foot curved, offering him more support where he rested the bulk of his weight.

He skated comfortably around the rink, doing lazy figure eights and simple maneuvers. As he skated, he scrolled through music on YouTube, one song to the next, trying to find something that spoke to his feelings. Just as the sizing of his skates seemed to stabilize, a song began to play that immediately caught his attention. The woman’s voice was pure and rich. It began soft, almost weak, but grew so strong; a plea turning to a promise.

His skates felt like they were merely extensions of his feet as the music began to flow through him, moving faster and faster in time with the melody.

When it ended, he repeated it, again, and again; finally looking it up on iTunes and buying it and putting it on repeat.

That was when he really began to skate, small moves of choreography began to form, and his jumps and spins seemed to fit right where he wanted them to go.

He hadn’t felt like this since last fall. The movement and music flowed through him, and for the first time he wished he could do magic outside of lessons; he needed more ways to express the emotions that burst from his soul.

He was flying, twisting turning, the jumps coming so easily, the music curling through his body. It was a long time before he noticed the tears that slowly ran down his cheeks.

‘Yes’ he thought. ‘This is it; this is what I’ve been searching for.’ Thoughts of Viktor ran through his mind. He’d been chasing him for so long, responding to his skates. With this one he’d be doing more than responding, he’d be making his own cry, asking for an answer.

But it wasn’t just for Viktor. It was for his mother who always knew what he needed. For Mari who always had his back. For Minako who was on the front lines of his life fighting for him. For Phichit, Yuuko, and Nishigori who always made him smile. For his father who never judged.

But it was for Viktor, he couldn’t deny that. He wasn’t just a faceless fan anymore, he was his competition, and soon he’d catch up and be his equal; he had to believe that. There was something there, something more than a baseless crush, something that felt right. He wanted to fight for that feeling, even if it ended in heart break, he had to try.

He didn't understand it, they'd spoken only once, and yet he knew that something beyond teenage hormones made him want to know the man.

It was sometime after 3 in the morning when he became aware of a presence on the rink. Yuuri looked up and spotted Celestino, looking a bit tired, but watching him eagerly nonetheless.

"Celestino! What are you doing here? How'd you get in?" He was sure he'd locked the door. Vicchan was still settled under the blanket, tail wagging in apparent dislike of the commotion that had interrupted his sleep.

"Minako called a while ago. Said you'd gone to skate and hadn't return. She suggested I check on you and told me where the keys were hidden." He held up the key ring Yuuri knew had been in his bag. Minako must have snuck in and set them where Celestino would find them. Yuuri wondered for a moment why she had called Celestino and not stayed herself, but he was happy with the choice she had made. He needed the ice right now, and Celestino seemed to understand that more than anyone.

"I think I've figured out my Free skate," Yuuri reported eagerly. There was no need to explain he couldn't sleep, or that he'd been having a panic attack, or that his body had no idea what time it was anymore. He skated over to the barrier and handed Celestino his phone with the song selected. As he skated back to center ice, his coach plugged the phone into the speakers, and when the notes began to plan, he began to dance, his body moving so easily with the ice. He'd completely forgotten these were new skates; they fit so perfectly to his feet, their edges never giving for a second.

He performed his half formed program for Celestino, never looking up until the last note played. Celestino was recording him with his own phone propped up, while he took notes with his other hand, jotting down jump orders and spins placements.

"It's perfect Yuuri," and they began to plan. Celestino had ideas for moving his arms and for some additional steps. By 5am Yuuri was completely exhausted but Celestino seemed wide awake, skates on his feet as he choreographed the middle section.

Yuuri gently woke Vicchan and waved to Celestino, "Get some rest Yuuri, we'll talk later!" before heading out into the early morning aurora.

 

He woke from one of the most peaceful slumbers of his life around lunch time, his new free skate music playing in his mind even now. Vicchan was asleep on his bed, and Yuuri couldn't help but to feel bad when he shifted his legs, rousing his ally from his sleep.

He sleepily made his into his family’s kitchen to find Celestino cheerfully chatting with his mother. “Ah Yuuri! Good morning. Let’s get to work.”

While Yuuri ate his breakfast, Celestino pulled out his laptop where half a dozen windows were open, one containing video of Yuuris performance last night, another with Viktor's free skate (Yuuri wasn’t awake enough to even question how Celestino knew to draw inspiration from that performance), iTunes with his free skate music cued up and ready to play, as well as a slew of notes on jumps and program composition.

“Your stamina is your strong suit, so I’m going to back load your program with jumps." And they began to work, sorting through various elements, jumps and spins, working them one by one into a program. "I want to pencil in the Quad Salchow,” Celestino remarked. Yuuri’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “I know we haven’t started working on it yet, but we still have several months to sort it out. We’ll down grade it early on, while you are still getting used to it.”

“Alright, but schedule it at the end, and can we add a Triple Flip to the beginning? I think that’s a good warm-up jump for me. I obviously want the Triple Axel and the Quad Toe-Triple Flip combo, but I also think there should be a Triple-Single-Triple Combo around the 3 minute mark."

Celestino nodded, typing up some notes. "We'll keep things flexible so you can change them on the fly..."

But Yuuri cut him off, "Also I want to have a death drop at 2:42 and an Ina Bauer at 2:28. They suit the music." He grinned a bit cheekily at Celestino whose thoughts were clearly evident on his face. Yuuri knew he could be quite stubborn at times.

"What happened to keeping it simple?" Yuuri shrugged and smiled a bit at his coach. Sighing, Celestino got to work, jotting down notes. "Well I guess it's good you're willing to be this aggressive. I'd probably still fight you on this but if you focus for the next few weeks it should be ready in time."

"Huh, don't I have till June before that competition in Nagasaki?"

"We did, but then I managed to grab you an invite to the new comers exhibition in Seoul. It's for last year juniors and first year seniors planning to head into International Senior competition in the next year. It's called an exhibition, but they have judging and medals, the whole deal. It's meant to help young skaters get an idea where they stand. You'll usually see 1 or 2 skaters stand out from the others. Those are the ones who end up really making waves in the International Competitions."

He turned his laptop and showed Yuuri the event webpage. There were a dozen confirmed competitors, a mix of seniors and juniors.

There he was, the photo was his official JSF photo, and wasn't much to look at. He scanned the list, not really recognizing anyone until he got near the bottom. His blonde hair and green eyes stood out like a beacon, and under his name the words Junior World Champion were in bold.

Yuri Plisetsky, the blonde Russian who was part of Viktor’s team. So he was the Junior World Champ. That meant he was the one to beat.

He had seen Yuri’s programs, technically they were outstanding. According to the press, his coach had barred him from doing quads (the implication that he could do quads easily). Even without them he could probably score well in the seniors, but when he added them, it was anyone’s guess how far he’d go.

“Do you think my programs are strong enough for this?” His new Free Skate, once complete, would be strong competition for this boy, but his short program...

"We're in luck; this competition is only a Free Skate. With this new direction you're taking, we'll need to change up your short program. My focus thus far has been to create a program that will allow you to win Nationals, but your Free is obviously focusing on winning Worlds. I'll have to get on your level."

Yuuri’s mouth dropped a bit, as Celestino chuckled. "Viktor really inspired you didn't he?"

Yuuri nodded, "He was really kind. I got to talk to him for a minute after the competition. I really want to meet him again." Yuuri blushed.

Celestino laughed, shaking his head a bit before getting back to work.

They spent the next few weeks working and refining his brand new program. He worked on the quad Salchow, but it was obvious it would not be ready in time for this competition. He'd made cursory attempts at a quad Flip, Loop and Lutz, but they were even further out of reach.

"Focus on your Quad and your Triple Axel. Your axel is probably the strongest in your age group. I don't think even Viktor’s is as consistent as yours. It's actually kind of annoying how easy you make it look," Celestino joked.

They decided his theme was Strength. It seemed simple, but to Yuuri it meant something incredibly complex. It was a reminder to himself to keep pushing forward.

Before he knew it, it was the night before he and Celestino would fly to Seoul. He'd already packed his costume (Minako had handled the designing and ordering) and skates (Muggle blades only) and handed them over to Celestino for safe keeping.

Now he was packing basics: practice clothes, casual clothes, toiletries and headphones. Thankfully this competition didn't have a reception after, so he didn't need to bring a suit. He thanked the gods for that small blessing. Given that his wardrobe was 50% skating gear and 50% Wizard robes, he wasn't comfortable in Muggle suits.

He carefully slid his wand into a hidden pocket of his hoodie which had charms on it to avoid Muggle detection (a clever foresight on the Madam Malkin's part, Yuuri thought) and set out his clothes for the next day. He sighed and leaned back against his bed, staring around his room.

His eyes came to rest on the tube sitting near his desk, causing him to nearly smack himself in the forehead.

His signed poster; he hadn't hung it yet! Grabbing his wand he quickly rearranged some of his posters to make room. His mom had hung his new poster for him, but since the signed one had been in his backpack, it had been with him that night when she had done it.

Setting his wand down, he stood and opened the tube, unfurling the thick paper.

He nearly dropped it in surprise. As it was, he jumped suddenly enough to knock into his desk and rattle things a bit.

It was moving.

Not the signature or the poster itself, but the picture of Viktor within. His eyes were closed and he was waving happily, mouth curving into his signature heart shaped grin.

'Viktor...' Yuuri breathed out the word like a prayer.

Suddenly poster Viktor's eyes flew open and he wasn't smiling. Instead, he was covering his mouth with his hand, cheeks clearly flushed with surprise. After a minute where they both stared stupidly at each other, Viktor lowered his hands and mouthed, or maybe spoke because he didn't seem capable of making sound, "Yuuri?"

Yuuri nodded, and Viktor smiled again. He seemed excited. He waved his hands, motioning for Yuuri to wait, and then he was off, skating around the rink in the poster until suddenly he was leaping into a perfect Quad Flip. Yuuri couldn't help but gasp in appreciation.

Looking extremely pleased with himself, Viktor skated back to the front of his canvas environment and looked at Yuuri expectantly.

"How is this possible?" Yuuri muttered.

Viktor shrugged.

"Hang on; I'm going to hang this so I can check something while we talk." He practically was whispering. Viktor just nodded, thought he seemed to be looking around, like he was wondering where to go.

"Oh," Yuuri turned the poster towards the bed,” I'm gonna hang you over there, above the bed. You'll be able to see my door and desk from there. And the bed, of course."

Poster Viktor nodded, seeming to approve of this placement.

With a quick sticking charm the poster was up on the wall. Viktor was now leaning up against the front edge of his canvas, chin on his elbows, watching Yuuri who was quickly taping on his phone before putting it to his ear.

"Yuuri what's up?"

"Minako, is there any reason why my poster Viktor signed would be moving?"

"Oh I forgot to warn you! That pen I gave you can make Muggle posters move like Wizard photos. It's not powerful enough to do much, but since he wrote so much on your poster you should get a pretty good wave out of it. Cool huh?"

"Uh yeah, I was just surprised when he waved at me all of a sudden."

Minako laughed before asking if there was anything else. After assuring her that was all, she wished him good luck in the competition.

Yuuri sighed and looked up at Poster Viktor. "So how come you can move so much?"

He shrugged, but then looked thoughtful, a finger pressed to his lips. He began miming something which Yuuri didn't recognize for a while until Viktor made a heart shape with his hands and pointed at Yuuri, blushing rather furiously.

It clicked, "You like me?"

Viktor nodded vigorously.

"You mean you, or the real you?" He winced a bit at the wording of the statement, that hadn't come out right.

Poster Viktor looked a bit confused before tilting his head and mouthing, "Both."

No. Freaking. Way.

"So you think that since you like me, that was enough to make you move more."

Viktor shook his head and tried miming a few more things, but Yuuri just couldn't understand. Sighing Poster Viktor just shrugged again and repeated the heart shape.

Yuuri blushed. Could Viktor actually like him? Poster Viktor did at the very least; he supposed that was cause for hope.

"I'm going to Seoul tomorrow for a competition, so I'll be gone for a few days." Poster Viktor pouted. "I'll show you videos when I get back." He seemed to brighten up at that. He was twirling his hair with his finger now. "My family doesn't know you move, so you might want to stay still if anyone else comes in here." Viktor gave him a thumbs up, before putting his finger to his lips in a 'shh' motion, followed by a wink.

Yuuri smiled and watched the 2D Viktor lazily skating around his rink while he got ready for bed, turning off the lights before slowly drifting to sleep, vaguely aware of Poster Viktor watching over him the entire time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri’s Free Skate is incredibly important to his future; it’s very much his cry to the world and to those around him, to lend him strength when he needs it, but also an offer to give his strength to others – that will be important going forward.
> 
> The music is ‘Stand by Me’ by Florence and the Machine (from Final Fantasy XV).You can listen to it here: https://youtu.be/qv6aw5a8oY8. It’s also available on iTunes if you’d like. I chose this song because it is a gritty and pure remake of a true classic. There’s a simplicity there I think Yuuri would appreciate, and I think suits him brilliantly.
> 
> I tried (and hope I succeeded) to show that there is some true darkness within Yuuri that terrifies him. But he’s realizing more and more that the support of the people around him will always be there to pick him up when he needs it most.
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading. Comments are appreciated (I do my best to respond to them all). Next chapter coming soon (tonight or tomorrow morning), chapter 12 on Sunday.


	11. Exposed Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick point of clarification.  
> Both Yuris are in this chapters and as Yuri Plisetsky has not yet been dubbed Yurio. I will follow this rule when referring to them:  
> Yuuri Katsuki has 2 Us  
> Yuri Plisetsky has 1 U
> 
> I don't know if I've mentioned it but Yuri is 15, so a little over a year younger than Yuuri.

Morning came early for Yuuri, the sun barely up when his alarm blared. After quickly getting dressed and waving goodbye to Poster Viktor, who blew him a kiss (this was seriously weird), he headed out to the kitchen where Celestino was already waiting.

After hugging his parents and giving Vicchan a quick pet, he headed off with Celestino to the train station.

What followed was a long day of travel that included a 2 hour train ride, several hours in an airport, and several more on a plane, crammed in coach, where Celestino’s too tall frame jutted uncomfortably in a variety of angles, trying to find space for all of his limbs. Yuuri was glad for once to be a bit short.

To pass the time, Yuuri began to look over the exhibition information. They had sent a colorful program full of character bios to all of the participants. Looking down the list, Yuuri noticed something that made his forehead crease.

“How did you get me into this competition?” he whispered to Celestino who was awkwardly attempting to cross his legs in the cramped space. He looked up as Yuuri continued. “Everyone else has a Junior title, or two, or 5.” He pointed to Yuuri Plisetsky who it appeared had been singlehandedly dominating the Juniors for the past year and a half.

“Ah yes, well, there is some regard for titles, but this isn’t an official ISU event. It was really thought up by coaches as a way to give their skaters a reality check. Every one of these skaters is either about to start their last Junior season or start their first senior season.”

He pointed to Yuri Plisetsky, “This kid has been dominating Juniors for a while now. He’s eligible for seniors this year, but his coach is holding him back until Nationals and apparently he’s furious about it.”

“He seems really good.” Celestino was about to interject but Yuuri cut him off. “He’s good but it’s all technical, it’s like he’s built a wall around himself. I don’t feel anything when I watch him.”

Celestino chuckled, “Sometimes I forget you’re only 16. You’re way too mature for your age, Yuuri.” Yuuri blushed a bit, “but you’re right. And that’s the problem his coach has been having. He’s way too strong in the Juniors right now, and it’s making him complacent. He thinks if he just adds some quads he’ll dominate seniors.”

Both men shook their heads. Juniors was a mixed bag of competitors. Most boys might have a lot of technical skills, but their bodies were all changing so fast near the end of their Junior tenure that their form would be all over the place. While you could join the seniors as young as 15, you were allowed to wait until you were 19 for a reason. Joining early was a risk, one Yuuri knew himself all too well.

“Yuri is rink mates with Viktor, so you’d think he’d get it, but I guess he feels he already does it, or something. His coach, Yakov, wants him to get soundly beat by a strong PSC. He wasn’t going to enter him into this exhibition until I contacted him about you. It was luck really that he was looking for someone with strong Performance abilities. Between the two of us we were able to get you into the competition.”

Yuuri sometimes forgot Celestino was a well known coach; they were so in their own world when they were in Hatsetu with only Phichit for company on the ice. But Celestino had been coaching highly competitive skaters for years; his last skater had been in the Grand Prix final two years ago, only missing this year after an injury at the Rostelecom Cup. Apparently the skater had decided to retire early (Yuuri found this out only recently from Phichit) after his injury had proved difficult to heal. Celestino didn’t like to talk about it but Yuuri had a feeling his coach was disappointed in his old student.

“So my job is to not worry so much about my jumps, and just focus on my performance.”

“And beat the pants off this brat in the process, yes.”

“That’s asking a lot you know.”

Celestino nodded, “But you can do it Yuuri. I think this will be good for you. Just go out there and skate with confidence. Have fun. You do that, and it'll be perfect." His coach smiled at him reassuringly and Yuuri couldn't help but feel a bit better.

They arrived in Seoul and gathered their bags before taking a cab to the hotel for the event. There was a short practice time scheduled that evening so, despite being a bit hungry and tired from traveling, Yuuri dragged Celestino to the rink. His goal for this event was to stay calm, and the ice was the best place for him to achieve that.

It seemed most skaters were forgoing this practice session, it wasn’t a real competition after all, but there were a few on the ice. Yuuri knew no one there and could feel many eyes on him. All of these skaters had been skating against each other for years, now here he was, breaking into their club. It was a bit unnerving.

He kept it simple, only occasionally doing some of his basic movements. He focused instead on linking his elements together, downgrading most of his jumps to doubles or singles, or even just popping them. He only cared about the takeoffs and landings for now. His focus was on the feeling of being on the ice, and of the music that was now a part of his soul.

By the time he finished up, the ice had mostly cleared, so he decided to have some fun. He looked over at Celestino asking silently for permission to let loose a bit. His coach nodded. This program was about performance, and he could probably win on that alone, but if he could, he really wanted to prove that he was the whole package.

He began to skate his program in earnest, still downgrading a few jumps here and there, but allowing his emotion to flow. It felt incredible, and by the time he neared the end of his program he decided to throw caution to the wind.

He sped up his skates, sliding quickly around the ice while clearing his mind and leapt. The takeoff was clean, and his rotations were tight. He twisted his head slightly at the end, throwing off his landing a bit, but it had been a solid attempt at a Quad Salchow. Yuuri could hear Celestino clapping as he finished the final spin of his program and taking his final position before grinning and approaching his coach.

“Excellent Yuuri, that’s the best I’ve seen from you.”

"Definitely getting there." Yuuri grinned and looked around the rink. Only two skaters were left, and to his surprise, they were both approaching him. The first was tall with dirty blonde hair and a goatee who had a large, friendly smile on his face.

“Hello!” He waved, “You must be Yuuri! We all wondered who this mystery skater was in the program. Looks like you’ll be exciting to watch! I’m Emil by the way, this is Michele.” He offered a hand to Yuuri who shook it. Michele just stared at him. “Don’t mind him, he’s cranky because his sister wouldn’t come to the competition.”

Michele glared at his friend before looking at Yuuri, “It’s nice to meet you.’

“You too,” Yuuri smiled tentatively at the man. “Where are you both from?”

“Czech Republic,” Emil replied cheerfully.

“Italy,” Michele replied a bit tersely, before biting his lip and continuing, sounding a bit less rude as he did, “my sister normally comes to my competitions whenever she’s not busy with school, but she decided to go on holiday with some classmates this time instead. We’re twins so we’ve always done everything together.”

Yuuri could understand this feeling, maybe not to the same extent but the sibling bond could be really strong. “I have a sister too, not a twin, but I understand. I wish she could have come to watch me.” Yuuri smiled kindly at the man.

Michele seemed appeased with this.

“How old are you, Yuuri?” Emil asked.

“16, you?”

“17, but turning 18 next week”

“I’m 16 also.” Michele chipped in.

The three chatted for a minute before their respective coaches called them over and they all headed out. While they weren’t exactly friends, it was nice to have two people he was friendly with before tomorrow’s performance.

Yuuri slept unusually well that evening, so by the time the competition was beginning, Yuuri felt relaxed and rested. Most of the skaters ignored him, only Emil and Michele bothering to greet him. Yuri Plisetsky glared at him a few times, but other than that he was left alone.

They had decided to order the skaters in Alphabetical order by first name, which seemed a bit odd to Yuuri, but it meant he would go last and he wasn’t opposed to that.

He stretched for a bit before changing into his costume. It was all black, thick, velvet like fabric that ran smooth on his body while still stretching and hugging every curve (especially his ass) of his body, and flaring smoothly over the tops of his boots. There was a graceful swirl of blue mesh and black sequins that made the outfit look a bit like the night sky. To cap it all off, there was a strategically placed cutout covered in mesh along his back, which curved from his side, smoothly sliding up his spine in an attractive bend.

It was a bit embarrassing how sexy it was.

There were just over a dozen skaters, skating in 2 groups at the event, so Yuuri spent most of the first group in the back stretching while he watched skater after skater perform on the television screens. Emil was early in the program and gave a strong performance, though his stamina seemed to run out near the end. His PCS was a bit low too since he seemed to be focusing more on jumps than anything.

Michele’s PCS was better, but I wasn’t quite there. His performance was a love song, but it seemed strangled, like he was frustrated at some unseen force.

Still, the two were at the top of the ratings by the time Yuri Plisetsky took to the ice. Yuuri watched on from the side of the rink, with Emil and Michele beside him. Most people seemed to think this was the skater to watch, and only the two men beside him had any idea what Yuuri could do. No one expected anything from him, and he had to admit it was nice having no expectations for his first competition.

Yuri took his mark on the ice and began his dance, and technically, it was amazing. His moves and spins were beyond anything Yuuri had seen a junior do since Viktor had won the Junior World Cup a few years ago. The program gave off a feel of determination and strength.

But that was the problem. It was strong because it was technically strong, it was determined because Yuri Plisetsky was determined to win; to prove he was the best. But it was also somehow at odds with itself, because there was this feeling of invincibility, he hadn’t pulled out a quad yet and already his performance was far and away the best.

“I heard a rumor from Georgi,” Emil commented softly. “If Yuri wins the Junior Grand Prix they’ll let him compete in the Senior Nationals. They’re planning to send Viktor, Georgi and Yuri to the Senior Worlds.”

“He’ll definitely podium at Nationals. Poor Georgi, this kid is already better than him.” Michele grimaced. “He’s got two monsters in his home country to compete with. I don’t envy him.”

“Yeah, but if they work together they can all grow together. It’s a good opportunity for all of them.” Yuuri whispered. The other two looked at him, curious. He shrugged, “My only rink mate is from Thailand and he won’t go pro till he’s done with school. I don’t know any of the Japanese skaters either, so I’m kind of on my own. It can be lonely.”

Yuri Plisetsky finished his routine and the crowd went wild.

“No Quads,” Michele muttered.

“He’s not allowed to do them yet since he’s so young.” Emil replied. Then he turned and looked at Yuuri, “If you’re ever lonely, Yuuri, you should message us! I know it’s not the same as having rink mates, but it’s fun to talk about competition together!”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile, Celestino was ushering him out to the ice but he called back to Emil, “Sure! We’ll exchange info after I take care of this.” He winked and the other two grinned, looking over at Yuri Plisetsky who was in the Kiss and Cry receiving his first place scores. He looked smug.

“Think Yuuri can beat him?” Michele whispered.

“Normally, I’d say no, even with what we saw last night, but somehow I think he’s going to surprise us. There's just something about him..."

Yuuri carefully skated around the edges of the rink, nodding at Celestino as he passed, receiving a thumbs up.

It was time.

Could he do this? Could he compete? Could he be better than these skaters who’d been competing longer than him?

“Davai.”

It was like a whisper across his brain that he was sure was just his imagining, but it sounded almost as if Viktor was beside him. Yuuri clenched his jaw for a moment before breathing a sigh, allowing himself to relax as he took center ice.

This event wasn’t televised, but all the coaches had cameras set-up. He didn’t know if Viktor would watch, but he had to know about the event because of Yuri. There was no way to be sure, but he might watch his coach’s footage if he heard Yuri had been beaten. It was his best chance.

Yes, the only way to make sure Viktor saw him was to demand that attention, and the only way to demand it, was to win.

The music began, and Yuuri skated.

Yuuri let the mood and music flow through him. He knew this feeling, the helplessness of being alone. His feet slid in and out of his contemporary ballet inspired dance, allowing the loneliness in his heart, the longing to bleed out.

He leapt into his first jump, the Triple Flip as the chorus began, and slowly, he allowed images of his loved ones to filter into his mind. His moves became his song to them, a tribute to their love and support.

It was soft as a lullaby, yet growing in strength the longer it went on.

He moved into his Quad Toe Loop, smiling to himself. He was glad Celestino had focused the jumps in the second half of the song. This was the perfect way to do this program. The bulk of the words of the song were in the first half, the remainder of the song was just a repeated chorus, over and over. It gave him so much freedom to sing the words in his heart as he did nothing but dance in the beginning.

As the second half began, the music grew soft again, letting the focus be on Yuuri and Yuuri alone. He let it flow, slowly sliding into his Ina Bauer. ‘Look at me Viktor’ he thought, ‘look at me and only me, because I’m about to surprise you.’ It was in that moment he leapt into his Triple Axel, landing it better than he’d ever done.

It felt so natural. He knew the music within his soul, and it was about to change, from softness and sweetness to a demand, so Yuuri would demand too. Just as the quiet moment ended he began his hardest sequence of jumps. Within the final minute and 25 seconds he had loaded his program with his Triple-Single-Triple Combo, the Quad Toe Loop-Triple Flip combo and finally the Salchow.

He only had 20 seconds left, it was now or never. He knew his score was high already, he could just do a triple and it would probably be enough, but it wasn't enough for Yuuri. He wanted more, wanted to be better. He'd need this Salchow if he wanted to stand alongside Viktor.

He jumped, flew, spun; imagining the whirl of silver hair. And then he wobbled, ever so slightly, but it was enough to make him put a hand down.

Damn.

He thought he had gone into it perfect, but he'd failed. He moved into his final spin, working hard not to lose his focus before finally striking that last pose.

The noise was incredible. Yuuri had forgotten there was even an audience, it seemed like such a small unknown event, the crowd almost entirely made up of figure skaters, coaches, and ISU members. It shouldn’t matter much, but it did, because just two years ago Viktor had been here. And now, so was he.

He waved to the crowd, bowing in thanks before skating over to Celestino, receiving a hug from his coach. Emil and Michele slapped him on the back and congratulated him. Yuuri and Celestino moved toward the Kiss and Cry, before suddenly being cut off by a small, blonde and cranky Russia.

"Hey Pig!" Ouch, that was kind of mean. Yuuri's weight was still and issue, but he'd worked really hard and was in good shape right now. "There's no room for two Yuri's in the same bracket, so you'd better just give it up! We don’t need some fanboy copying Viktor, moron!"

With a rude gesture He stormed away, his coach yelling at him in Russian. Yuuri looked at Celestino who just shook his head and motioned Yuuri to the Kiss and Cry.

The scores rolled in but all Yuuri saw was the 1 in front of his named.

He'd done it. He'd won for the first time. He buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed with emotion as he cried. He sat like that for a while until someone tapped his shoulder and handed him the flowers and other items thrown onto the ice.

There wasn't much, unsurprisingly, no one knew who he was after all. Still, he was touched by the gifts. He carefully looked through them, giving a bit of time to everyone who had given him a token. It was then that he found it, hidden among all the other gifts, a single blue rose.

He looked up, surprised. He couldn't be here, could he? No, he wasn't here. If he was he'd be with his coach. It was just a coincidence. It had to be. But still. A blue rose...

Yuuri shook his head, coming back to the moment. He was moved back to the ice where he did a lap, bowing and thanking the judges and spectators, before being directed to the podium where he received his medal. Yuri Plisetsky was next to him, scowling. Michele was on his other side, smiling happily. The two of them shared a handshake and a promise to stay in touch.

It wasn't until much later, when he saw the scores that he realized how well he'd done. His scores had been well above The Russian's, especially his PCS. Yuri could definitely have caught up with his technical score if he had converted a few jumps to quads, but Yuuri's performance score was what really sealed his win.

It was a total victory.

He and Celestino flew home the next day, and spent the following weeks perfecting his programs. His Free program had shown them both how far Yuuri could go, and how far he had yet to go.

"Your technical score was lower then I'd like. We need to clean it up, and I'd like to give you some more difficult approaches." Celestino was already hard at work with new strategies, training schedules and plans by the time they landed.

The biggest challenge Celestino foresaw were Yuuri's nerves. He'd been an unknown in Seoul, but now people were watching. Apparently tons of officials from the JSF were contacting Celestino, and Yuuri was getting invited to more competitions than either of them had expected. The weeks became full with competition after competition; not only local events, but International Invitationals as well.

Celestino was careful though, keeping Yuuri away from anything with too much pressure, allowing him to slowly get used to the atmosphere of competition. That didn’t mean it was easy, Yuuri’s performance seemed to fluctuate with each competition, as different combinations of pressure, nerves and new routines threw his rhythm off. The one positive he saw in it all was that he didn’t miss the podium all summer long, and with every competition, he seemed to learn something new.

There was the Kyoto Invitation where he learned a good breathing exercise for controlling panic attacks, taught to him by one of the female skaters there for the women’s event.

A small competition in Canada where he'd been flattened in the short program by the hometown skater, Jean-Jacque Leroy, better known as JJ. The man had been a cocky SOB a Yuuri had vowed to never behave like that. It was all the more surprising when he'd found the man having a panic attack on the second day. Yuuri had sat with him and shared his breathing techniques, helping him control the uncontrollable panic. That was where he learned to never judge his competitors too harshly; they were all human after all. He'd also learned to never give up, because despite the fact that JJ had pulled through to win, Yuuri had regained a lot of ground to come in a solid second.

Then at an event in Beijing, he finally nailed his Quad Salchow in competition, though he failed it utterly in the following event in Osaka. He had won both events, but hadn’t been proud of his performance in Osaka.

Finally, at a tiny Exhibition in Hatsetsu, attended only by his friends and neighbors, he had more fun then he’d ever had while skating for the public. He had completed both his short program, free skate, and an exhibition skate all in a row; he had been exhausted by the end, but his stamina held for all three programs, which gave him a lot of confidence.

Celestino reminded him that building self-confidence was less about winning, and more about choosing to see the good in himself. It wasn’t easy, but he was learning.

His unexpected ally in this growth had been Poster Viktor who had become almost a second (or third if you counted Minako) coach to Yuuri. After each competition, Yuuri would sit in his room with the 2D Viktor and show him video Celestino had take of his performances (only the Beijing event had had any sort of media presence). While he couldn't talk, Viktor was pretty good at pointing out small problems, even showing him how to improve. Their conversations, for lack of a better word, always helped calm him down and take a fresh look at his performance.

Finally, in the last week of August, they entered Yuuri's first qualifying match for Nationals.

His whole family traveled with him; his parents closed the Onsen for two days and Nishigori, Yuuko, and Phichit all skipped classes to attend. Minako had come with a few surprises as well, arriving with the Owner of Quality Sporting Supplies and a cameraman who Yuuri was sure was a wizard. Yuuri was pretty sure he spotted Bilfird and his wife as well, though it was hard to tell due to the magic they were using to keep Muggles from seeing them.

The competition, it turned out, was fairly easy going, the biggest competition coming unexpectedly from an eager kid with blonde and red hair, who seemed to latch onto Yuuri immediately and began calling him senpai.

It was unexpected, but going into the rink Yuuri felt prepared. He’d had his freak outs and breakdowns; he’d had wins and losses. Now, when it really counted, all of that experience seemed at his fingertips, ready to give him what he needed.

He wished it was Nationals now, and not just a qualifier. He felt ready for it.

Now as he took the ice, he went back to where all of this began, allowing Viktor’s face to fill his mind. He’d been sure he would be disappointed if he ever met him, but Viktor had blown away all his expectations, being even more kind that Yuuri had hoped for. And, even more surprisingly, if Poster Viktor was to be believed, he liked Yuuri. Yuuri wasn’t sure if he believed that, but it didn’t seem likely the photographic Russian was completely lying to him. Yuuri had seen lots of moving photos, and if they hated you, they were pretty good at letting you know.

It was nice having that support.

A little more than 24 hours later his win was confirmed. He’d had won his first official competition by a solid margin. As he received his award, he smiled brightly, waving to his fans, promising to make it to Nationals and prove that he deserved a spot at Worlds.

The younger skater, Minami, had eagerly told him he'd do his best at his qualifying events so they could see each other at Nationals again. Yuuri had given him a hug which had made the boy squeak with delight. Apparently Yuuri had earned his first fan. He couldn't deny it was a nice feeling.

 

Before he knew it, he was packing for Hogwarts. His friends had offered to help, but he had to refuse all but Phichit due to the nature of the items he was packing. Instead, he made Yuuko and Nishigori go to the beach with him 2 days before he left.  They brought Vicchan along as well, and the poodle seemed to love every minute of playing in the waves with the 3 teenagers.

Yuuri had known it would be hard saying goodbye to his friends and family, but it felt even worse than he had imagined as the days rolled closer. He didn’t regret this decision, but his life was so different from a year before; it was a lot of change to take in.

The night before he left his family threw a big party for Yuuri, with all his friends, Minako and Celestino in attendance. His mom made Katsudon and they all sat together eating and talking through the night. By the end of the night Yuuri and all his friends sat in a pile, hugging and saying their goodbyes.

“I have 3 weeks off for Christmas and a few days at Easter, not to mention nearly 3 months off in the summer! It’s only for 2 years and then I’ll be back.” Yuuri had comforted them as Phichit and Yuuko openly cried. Nishigori and Yuuri were both barely holding back.

“But you won’t be here Yuuri!” Yuuko cried.

“I have my qualifier in October too! I’ll be back before you know it. I’ll see you soon!”

“It’s not the same!” Phichit wailed.

Vicchan, feeling distressed by all the tears clambered on top of all them licking all their faces till they all were laughing. “Will you at least text and stuff, Yuuri?” Yuuko asked.

Yuuri chewed on his bottom lip, “I don’t know how service is there, but I promise that if I get bars, I’ll message, email, whatever I can do, as much as I can!”

According to Hogwarts a History, Muggle technology didn’t work at Hogwarts, but he hoped he could at least message from Hogsmeade on the few weekends they were there. At least he could Owl Phichit and have him pass along messages.

Celestino was more practical. “Practice every day just as we planned. If you have service, make sure to Facetime me and send me videos.”

“I’ve worked out a deal with the school on that front,” Minako chimed in. “If Yuuri qualifies for International Competition at Nationals, they’ll give him flexibility to travel on weekends.”

Yuuri looked up, he hadn’t known this. “Seriously?”

They had told Celestino the school was in Sapporo. Close enough that Yuuri could potentially travel back and forth, but far enough to keep Celestino from coming himself, since he still had to teach Phichit. He also thought it was a traditional Japanese school that would have Saturday classes making weekend travel impossible unless he could get excused.

“Yep, they want you to focus on your studies obviously, but they know how important practice is to your success Internationally. Just talk to your advisor about it when you get there, she’ll handle all the arrangements, including for your qualifiers in October. I’ll keep asking for you to get a few extra days off so you can have a few days with Celestino beforehand.”

Yuuri nodded, “Thanks Minako. I guess I just have to win then.”

She grinned, “Yeah, that’ll make competition easier, but then school will be harder.”

“Yuuri can handle it,” Hiroko spoke forcefully. “He was always the best in his class, and when he dedicates himself to something he never fails. He can handle the extra work.”

She smiled at her son hugging him tightly. He hugged her back, happy once again for her support.

“I’m just sad I can’t bring Vicchan.” Yuuri whined leaning down and hugging his pup.

“Too bad he’s not a cat,” Minako muttered.

Yuuri stuck his tongue out at her, hugging his perfect poodle.

Before long, after many more tears and hugs, his friends and coach all left, Minako reminding Yuuri she would be there in the morning to take him to the “airport”.

Yuuri spent the rest of the night with Mari and Vicchan, sitting in his room talking, while Yuuri floated his belongings into the large trunk Minako had given him. Minako had decorated it in ballet shoes and ribbons in her day, so Mari had taken it upon herself to redecorate it with skates and pictures of all of Yuuri’s friends and family.

He decided finally to let her in on his secret and showed her his signed poster. “Hey Viktor,” Mari looked at him like he had finally lost it. “This is my sister Mari; I think it’s ok to let her in on our little secret.”

For a second Viktor was still, but then he blinked, causing Mari to jump. Viktor mouthed at Yuuri, “Are you sure?”

Mari was gaping like a fish and Yuuri laughed. “Yeah, it’s ok.” Viktor seemed to relax and then waved at Mari. “I’m leaving for Hogwarts tomorrow so I’m packing you up. You’ll be able to move more freely there since they’re all used to moving pictures.” Viktor did a little cheer.

“How is it doing that?” Mari asked.

“It’s a magic autograph pen Minako had. It’s just suppose to make pictures wave and wink and stuff, but for whatever reason, Viktor here seems a bit more active than you’d expect.” He grinned and Viktor winked back.

“That is so cool! Do you think she’d let me borrow it for that concert next month?”

Yuuri laughed, “Donno, might be some massive violation of the secrecy laws, but you can ask.”

Viktor did a little jump as he caught sight of Vicchan and began cooing over the poodle from his page. Vicchan for his part just looked confused.

Finally, Poster Viktor was safely secured in Yuuri’s now locked trunk, and Yuuri found himself lying in his bed staring at his sexy Viktor poster, wondering if he should bring it to Worlds next year for Viktor to sign; he’d really like it if that one moved, maybe he could get a better view of his chest or see exactly was under that one button…Yuuri stopped his thoughts before they went too far.

He lamented not being able to bring it to Hogwarts, but he doubted he’d have space for more than one poster. He could always ask Phichit to come get it and Owl it to him if he found he did have the space.

As he drifted off he couldn’t help but smile. Tomorrow he’d board a train to a school where he’d be allowed to study the magic he’d only dreamed of. He couldn't say it was a dream come true because if he was being honest, he'd never had enough hope to even dream for something like this. Sighing happily to himself, he drifted off to sleep, knowing that tomorrow would be another long day that was sure to surprise him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> END ACT 1
> 
> A new chapter is about to begin for Yuuri, and a lot is going to change for him. It's going to be a fun ride. Thanks for sticking with me thus far, I'm excited to get you this next chapter and introduce you to some new faces.
> 
> All of the competitions, except one, that Yuuri went to in this chapter were 100% made up by me. The one that's real? Well...that'll be revealed in time (I'm evil I know). I wanted to show Yuuri at one competition, and originally we'd have spent more time at the qualifier, but I really wanted to get some of our skater boys into a chapter. Minami is great, but we haven't had nearly enough Yuri 'Ice Tiger' Plisetsky.
> 
> There was an additional scene included in this chapter and the previous one where Yuuri got up the nerve to tag Viktor in an Instagram post and ask him to watch the competition in Seoul, which led to them having an awesome little DM chat (and also Viktor secretly sitting in the stands in a hoodie). It was cute, and fun, but it basically ruined EVERYTHING that I have planned in the next few chapters. I saved it though so maybe someday I'll release a "deleted scenes" chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading, comments are appreciated. Next chapter in the next day or 2, WE ARE GOING TO HOGWARTS! I swear!


	12. Poodle on the Platform

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting with this chapter, we'll be meeting several new faces. I'll be sharing some of these characters' backstories via a special Extra section at the end of many of the upcoming chapters. This is Yuuri's story, so I'd like the main story's focus to remain on him, but he's going to be meeting a lot of interesting people, and it'd be a shame not to share more of their stories as well. You'll find the first of these background articles at the end of this chapter.
> 
> Magical Schools of the World
> 
> Hogwarts: United Kingdom  
> Mahoutokoro: Japan  
> Koldovstoretz: Russia  
> Durmstrang: Northern Europe  
> Ilvermorny: North America  
> Beauxbatons: France and surrounding countries  
> Castelobruxo: South America  
> Uagadou: Africa

Morning came early on September the 1st, not because Yuuri particularly needed to wake early, but because he found that nerves were making sleep impossible. The sun was barely up and Yuuri was already pacing up and down the hallways of Yutopia, with Vicchan nervously watching him.

He sighed, looking at the clock. He still had hours, and he needed to clear his head or he was going to wear a hole right through the hallway floor. After shooting off a quick text to Minako, he clipped on Vicchan’s leash and headed for the ocean. After half an hour of walking around on the sand he finally relaxed enough to sit and just stare at the water. Vicchan sat beside him leaning heavily against his side.

“I wish I could take you with me Vicchan,” Yuuri whispered.

“No reason he can’t at least come to London.” Yuuri jumped as Minako sank down beside him.

“Really? He can come to the platform? It won’t be a problem with Apparating?”

“Well, he won’t like it, but I can manage it.” She smiled and reached over to ruffle Vicchan’s fur. “He’d do anything if it helped you after all.”

Yuuri couldn’t help the tears that welled up a bit as he snuggled against his dog. “I’m nervous, Minako. All of this, it’s a lot.”

She nodded, “I know, it’s pretty scary moving across the world. When you’re planning it all out it just seems like fun, but the closer you get, the more you realize how alone you’ll be.” She sighed, “I was younger, but realizing I couldn’t go to my parents or my grandmother when I was scared or upset, it was terrifying.

“But I’ll tell you this; it was the best time of my life. Even traveling as a ballerina paled in comparison to my time at Hogwarts. The professors are amazing, and you’ll make a ton of friends.”

Yuuri focused on breathing, “What House were you in Minako?”

“Gryffindor.”

“Really? Seems like it would suit you, you’re really brave after all.”

“I didn’t feel that I was when I got there.” Yuuri looked at her as she sighed. “It seemed like too much. Grandmother had a lot of expectations for me, I could barely speak English; I felt completely alone. But I think the Sorting hat wanted to challenge me a bit. It was either going to be that or Slytherin, actually.” She laughed, “He said I was a devious little bugger and would probably do well there. Ultimately he went with Gryffindor though. I think it was the right choice.

“What house do you think you’ll go to?”

Yuuri pondered the question a bit, “Ravenclaw maybe? I’ve always been really good at school. Hufflepuff could suit me also.”

“What about Gryffindor?”

Yuuri blinked and looked at her, confused. He wasn’t brave, just look at him, hiding at a beach crying because he’s scared to leave home; needing his dog to come with him so he didn’t have a panic attack. “You don’t give yourself much credit, Yuuri. Strength, bravery; those words don’t have a singular meaning. Think about your Free Skate, most people wouldn’t see that as expressing strength, but you do. Why?”

“Because it’s my strength.”

Minako nodded, “And you have your own bravery. No matter how you get sorted tonight, remember that. You aren’t weak, you aren’t a coward. Someday the whole world will know it, but first, you need to believe it.”

Yuuri stayed quiet, thinking on that. It was hard to believe with his crippling anxiety telling him otherwise, but Minako wouldn’t lie to him about this type of thing.

“It’s ok if you don’t believe me now, Yuuri, but give it a chance, ok?”

He smiled and nodded at his teacher.

“Good, now go run to the embankment and back 10 times. You’re going to have a big dinner tonight, better work off the calories in advance.”

Yuuri groaned but did as she asked.

They spent the rest of the morning at the beach, Minkao putting him through a punishing workout that did just as much to calm his nerves as it did to tone his waist line. Hours later, he, Minako, and Vicchan arrived back at the Inn. Yuuri took a quick shower (during which his mom used a cleaning spell to get the sweat and stink off his clothes) before joining his family for a late lunch. They mostly talked about normal things, laughing and enjoying each other’s company for a few more minutes before they were parted for several months.

Finally it was time. Mari hugged Yuuri exceptionally tight, promising to take good care of Vicchan. His dad patted him heartily on the back, reminding him how proud they were of him. His mom remained silent, but handed him a bento for the train before hugging him tightly for a long time.

During their goodbyes, Minako grabbed onto Yuuri’s trunk and popped out for a minute. She returned just as Hiroko finally managed to let go of her son. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

“Ready to go?” Minako asked.

Yuuri nodded and looked at his family, “Love you guys, and thanks for always supporting me. I’ll write you!” His family smiled, made him promise to his best and keep practicing hard, until finally, Yuuri and Minako wrapped their arms around Vicchan and each other. With one last look, Yuuri smiled at his family, Minako turned on the spot, and boy and dog were dragged uncomfortably into the abyss and out into the familiar pub in London.

Vicchan yipped, most displeased with the sensation, but after a few comforting pets, Yuuri calmed him down. Minako ushered them over to the counter where Tom was holding Yuuri’s trunk. “Welcome back Mr. Katsuki, and good luck at Hogwarts!” He smiled kindly. “I’ve already called a Muggle cab for you; I figure it’ll be a bother walking to the Platform with the trunk and the dog.” He nodded at the happily sniffing dog who was busy exploring his surroundings.

“Thanks Tom. That’s a good idea, much easier than lugging all this through the Underground.” Minako waved, and to Yuuri’s surprise, a fair amount of the patrons waved back, wishing him good luck.

“Everyone’s so friendly,” Yuuri muttered as they stepped outside.

“Most remember their first day at Hogwarts, plus, apparently The Daily Prophet just ran an article about your finish at the Qualifier, so a lot of people are interested in you.” Yuuri’s mouth dropped open. “Don’t worry, it wasn’t a big article, and frankly no one would probably recognize you from the picture, it’s just that Tom was showing it all around when I got here before. Who knew he was a figure skating fan.” She shrugged and Yuuri sighed. At least it sounded like most people at Hogwarts wouldn’t have seen it. He didn’t really need the attention on his first day.

A large, black car rolled up then and asked if they’d called for a cab. Minako nodded and helped the man load the large trunk in the back, while Yuuri and Vicchan hopped in the back.

“Kings Cross,” Minako instructed, and the cab pulled away.

Yuuri stared out the window, absentmindedly stroking Vicchan’s fur as they went. The driver was kind enough to point out famous buildings as they went, though if Yuuri was being honest, he didn’t remember most of it.

Before he knew it, they had arrived at the train station; the driver hopped out and grabbed them a trolley and had their bag loaded up onto it in no time. Minako paid him, “You should have Vicchan sit on the trunk for this bit; he’s not going to like what happens next.”

Yuuri didn’t like it either from the sound of that, but instructed the poodle to hop up on the trunk, facing him as he and Minako pushed the now considerably heavier cart into the station.

There were people everywhere, all moving in different directions towards different platforms, changing stations here and there. Yuuri was glad they had Vicchan up and out of the way as a woman trounced on his foot with her umbrella. Cursing under his breath he stuck close to Minako, while keeping a tight hold on Vicchan who looked about ready to bolt.

Minako was strolling faster now as the approached platform 9. Yuuri could see Platform 10 in the distance. “What’s our Platform number?’ He asked.

“9 ¾s.”

Yuuri stared at her. There was no such thing, what was Minako… His thoughts stopped as he realized at the last second what was going on. Minako was plowing them straight into one of the barriers between the platforms and they were moving nearly at a run. Vicchan looked over his shoulder and yelped as Yuuri’s eyes grew wide and then they…passed right through.

Yuuri and Vicchan stared around, mouths gaping open as now, instead of the busy Muggle platform, they were standing on a far quieter, older platform, complete with gleaming red engine, puffing steam quietly as it began to warm up.

“Ah, just as I remember it!” Minako exclaimed. Vicchan looked at her with deep distrust. “We’re a bit early, but that’s alright, let’s get your trunk on and then have a seat on those benches till it’s time.” Yuuri nodded and followed her till they made it to the edge of the platform. He helped Vicchan hop down while Minako pulled out her wand and levitated the trunk into one of the luggage compartments.

“You won’t have to worry about getting that off, it’ll be delivered to your room when you get there,” she assured Yuuri before hoping back down off the train and sending the trolley into the queue with a flick of her wand.

Yuuri and Vicchan followed her over to the bench. As he sat, he rubbed Vicchan’s sides, looking around the platform. There were a few people on the platform, most doing just as they had. They sat in silence as more and more people started to flow onto the platform. Yuuri was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed when he heard a kind voice.

“Are you Yuuri?” Yuuri looked up to find a girl standing over him. She looked about his age, with shoulder length (somewhat messy) black hair. Yuuri was pretty sure she was at least part Japanese.

“Yeah, how did you know my name?”

“Professor Sprout told me we had a transfer from Mahoutokoro and asked me to look out for you. My mom went there and I spend my summers in Japan visiting my grandparents, so she thought you might appreciate having a guide who speaks your language. I’m Riko by the way, Gryffindor, 6th year.”

Yuuri gave a small bow out of habit, “It’s nice to meet you. This is Minako.” He motioned to Minako who smiled, “and Vicchan.”

Riko smiled and gave Vicchan a pat on the head. “He’s such a cute dog; too bad you can’t bring him with you.”

Yuuri nodded in agreement, but before he could say anything else a voice cut in, “Riko!”

Riko looked up, “Oh, Ari, hi!” She waved at a caramel skinned boy who came over to them. “Ari, this is Yuuri, the transfer from Mahoutokoro.”

“Nice to meet you,” the boy smiled and held out his hand to Yuuri who shook it. “I’m Ari, as Riko said, 6th year, Ravenclaw. Riko and I are in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Club together.”

“There’s a Defense Against the Dark Arts Club?” Yuuri hadn’t heard about this from Minako.

“Yup,” Riko grinned, “It was started by Harry Potter himself. Ari and I are running the club this year; you should join!’

Yuuri nodded, “I’d love to.”

Riko beamed and Ari grinned, “Cool, would you like to sit with us on the train? We’ve got some friends saving us seats. I have Prefect duties so I’ll be in and out, but Riko and the others will keep you company.”

“And answer any questions you have!” Riko chirped.

“Oh, thanks,” Yuuri stammered a bit. “Yeah, that sounds great.” He smiled a bit shyly. The other two beamed.

There was a shout from a nearby car and Ari walked towards it, talking to a boy who was hanging out one of the windows for a moment before coming back. “Charlie says he’s got seats for us. He says hello as well, Yuuri. Charlie’s in Ravenclaw with me. He’s kind of an idiot, but he’s a good guy.”

Yuuri laughed, “An idiot in Ravenclaw?”

Minako snorted, “You’d be surprised, there’s always a few.” Ari and Riko snickered. Suddenly the train whistle blew. “You guys can talk more on the train, you better get moving!” Minako chided.

Yuuri looked up at the clock. He couldn’t believe it; the time had gone by so fast. Ari and Riko pointed to the train car the other boy had been in, told him they’d save him a seat, and headed for the train. Yuuri turned toward Minako who was smiling. “Well would you look at that, not even on the train and already making  friends. Told you you’d be fine.”

Yuuri grinned, “Thanks Minako, for everything.” He hugged her and heard her sniff. “Seriously, you’re crying?”

“Can’t help it, you’re growing up.”

Yuuri laughed and hugged her again, then reached down and hugged Vicchan. “Thanks boy, you’re my best pal ok? Don’t let Phichit tell you otherwise. Be good for Minako, she’ll take you back to Mari. I’ll see you soon.” Vicchan licked his face and the train whistle blew for a second time.

“You’d better go, Yuuri.”

With a last look at his coach/friend/second mother and dog, Yuuri climbed the stairs and waved. The train began to move and Yuuri stayed at the door, watching as Vicchan barked after the train until he could no longer see or hear the pair.

He quickly dried his eyes of the moisture that had accumulated there while he’d waved goodbye and headed into the car, searching for his new friends. He was about halfway down when he heard his name and saw Riko’s head poke out from a compartment, “Yuuri! In here!”

Yuuri entered the compartment and found it nearly full of people, with Riko motioning to the open seat beside her. “Everyone, this is Yuuri!” She introduced him. “He’s from Mahoutokoro in Japan.”

The others smiled. There were 2 other Hogwarts students Yuuri didn’t know, and another girl who looked like she might also be a transfer student. She had rich, dark skin and long black hair that was tied into dozens of tight braids, all wrapped together to form a sort of bun at the back of her head. She looked exceptionally strong.

One of the Hogwarts students, the boy Yuuri assumed had been the one to lean out of the window and call for Ari, introduced himself, “I’m Charlie, Ravenclaw, 6th year, though Ari might have told you that. This is Clara, my little sister.”

The girl beside him smiled, “I’m a Hufflepuff, 6th year,” Yuuri nodded and Clara continued, “This is Imara from Uagadou.”

“Nice to meet you,” the girl spoke in a thick, accented voice. “I hope you don’t mind, my English isn’t as strong as I’d like it to be.”

Yuuri shook his head, “No problem. It’s hard for me too.” He smiled at her, and her face grew friendlier.

“So Yuuri,” Charlie spoke, “why’d you decide to come to Hogwarts?”

Before he could speak, Riko butted in, “Bet I know.”

The others looked at her and she silently looked to Yuuri to make sure he was ok with her taking a guess. He smiled at her in affirmation.

“My mom went there, dad went to Hogwarts. Mahoutokoro is a day school so they thought about sending me there since I’d get to live at home and Mama liked that, but she was worried about me being exposed to…she trailed off a bit, obviously trying to find a way to tactfully describe what Yuuri knew all too well.

“The blatant discrimination of Muggleborns and Half-bloods including not letting us continue on to NEWT level courses?” She grimaced but nodded. Yuuri smiled at her reassuringly, “Yeah, you made a good choice. I’m half-blood, technically, but since my mom’s Muggleborn I wasn’t going to be allowed to carry-on.”

“Seriously?” The others looked at him. He wasn’t surprised by their shock, most people had no idea how things worked at Mahoutokoro. It was considered disrespectful to speak poorly of the place that gave you your magical education, especially when they were doing so for free.

“Yeah, they’ll make exceptions, but you’ve got to have loads of money to get around them.” Yuuri shrugged, “It’s ok though, I’m here now.”

Imara gritted her teeth, “I hate those kinds of things. Uagadou was a bit ahead of other schools on getting away from that. If you’re talented, there’s always a place for you.” The others nodded in agreement.

“Was that your mom on the platform?” Ari asked, curiously.

“Ah, no. Minako’s my tutor and coach. She’s childhood friends with my mom, but she came to Hogwarts, so she’s been helping me with the transition.”

“Coach?” Riko questioned.

“Uh, yeah. She a dance instructor and a former ballerina. She’s been teaching me since I was a kid.”

“So you’re a dancer?”

“Figure skater actually. I still do dance to supplement my skating, and Minako also helps me with my conditioning. My skating coach is a Muggle.”

“You must be pretty good if you have two coaches,” Clara observed.

“Ah, I guess. I’m working to go pro. This is my first year competing on the senior level.”

“Whoa really? That’s so cool Yuuri!” Riko burst out. “Can you do jumps and stuff?”

Yuuri nodded. “I have two quads right now. I’m new so I haven’t done many competitions, but I’m hoping to qualify for the Japanese Nationals and maybe Worlds, but we’ll see.”

“Isn’t that going to be really tough to do while at Hogwarts?” Ari’s brow was furrowed.

“Yeah, it’ll be tough, but I guess they converted an old dungeon into a skating rink, so I’ll be able to practice on my own. My coach and I spent all summer coming up with practice schedules for me.” Yuuri chewed his lip a bit, “It might not work out, but I’ve got to try. I thought I’d have to give up on school, so there’s no way I’ll pass up this chance. I’ll just have to do my best at skating as well.”

The others looked impressed. Riko had her phone out and was pulling up videos of figure skating on YouTube.

“I had no idea they were adding a skating rink.” Charlie wondered, “Is it just for your use, or can anyone use it?”

“As far as I know anyone can use it. Apparently some other transfer students requested it too since skating is a common activity at their schools.” He paused, “I can teach you guys how to skate if you want.”

Clara and Charlie both nodded vigorously. Imara looked a bit nervous. “I’ve never even seen snow…” she trailed off.

“That’s ok. It takes a little getting used to, but anyone can master the basics with a little help. It’s really fun once you get the hang of it.” He smiled kindly. She seemed to relax a bit.

 “Yuuuri, I can’t find any videos of you.” Riko whined.

“I’ve only been in small competitions, so it’s pretty unlikely there are any.”

Yuuri helped her look for a minute. They were only able to come up with one short clip of his Free Skate from when he performed in Beijing. It was all in Chinese so he and Riko were useless at translating it.

Eager to divert attention from himself he looked up at the other transfer student, “So why’d you decide to come here, Imara?” Yuuri asked.

She seemed to light up a bit; Yuuri thought he might even say she looked kind of proud. “My focus is magical creatures; I’ve always had a knack for it. My father worked with animals so I’ve always been skilled at working with them. They allowed me to start Care of Magical Creatures Classes early; I finished the 7th year courses last year and wanted a chance to learn more, see new creatures. I heard Hogwarts had a Giant, Unicorns and Acromantuals. Couldn’t pass up a chance to work with them.”

Clara nodded, “We have Thestrals and bowtruckles too.” Imara’s eyes lit up with excitement while Clara continued, “I’m in the Care of Magical Creatures Club, you should join Imara. We’re always looking for more girls to help with the Unicorns, and anyone who can see Thestrals is a big help when we need to train them.”

Imara nodded, “From what I’ve read I should be able to see them.

Clara nodded. Yuuri had never taken Care of Magical Creatures so he didn’t understand what they meant. Riko leaned over and whispered, “You can only see a Thestral if you’ve seen death. Some people think they’re unlucky, but they’re really useful animals. Hogwarts has a heard of them and uses them to pull the carriages up to the Castle. You’ll see them tonight, or not.” She shrugged. Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder why Clara and Imara would be able to see the creature; he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

Charlie smiled, “My sister is crazy for magical creatures, given Imara’s background Professor Sprout figured they’d get along and asked Clara to keep an eye out for her. Seems she made a good call.” Yuuri couldn’t help but agree. Professor Sprout had been smart to send him someone who spoke Japanese too. It was nice knowing if he ever had problems with English he had someone to turn to. It took a large weight off his shoulders.

“What’s your focus subject, Yuuri?” Ari asked.

Yuuri thought about it, “I guess Muggle Studies has been my favorite. The school only offered it out of obligation so they mostly left us alone there; it was kind of my refuge from all the bullshit. But I don’t know what my focus is. I kind of like all of the subjects.”

“Did you hear they are offering Alchemey this year?” Riko asked excitedly. “I never thought we’d get to take it.”

Yuuri and the others nodded. Though it had been offered at Uagadou, Imara had never taken Alchemy, so Yuuri told them about what the class was like. It seemed that a lot of what was covered in the early years of the course, Hogwarts students covered in other classes like Potions. They all chatted excitedly, wondering what their new class would be like and who their teacher would be. All but Clara and Imara were planning to take the new course; from what Yuuri could gather, the class schedule would have conflicted with Care of Magical Creatures.

Soon the lunch cart arrived, and the others scrambled to buy snacks and treats, offering Yuuri some candy. He thought about declining, but guessed he could have something after his morning’s workout. Ari suggested the chocolate frog and Yuuri agreed, handing the witch pushing the cart some money in exchange for the sweet. Charlie bought them all a pumpkin juice, refusing any repayment when they offered. “Buy me a Butterbeer in Hogsmeade sometime,” he’d answered.

Sitting down, Yuuri pulled out his lunch, realizing his mother had packed him a massive sushi feast, complete with cooling charm to keep everything fresh.

“Oh my God that looks amazing,” Riko cooed.

“You can have some, there’s way too much here for me. My mom seems to have gotten carried away, just a bit.” He smiled happily thinking about his mother making these delicious snacks for him.

“Seriously?” She didn’t even wait before she was diving in. Yuuri offered the others some and soon they were all relaxing, sharing the food that their various families had sent with them. Imara had brought a cured meat called Biltong, while the others had all brought sandwiches. Riko confessed her mother was a terrible cook, especially when it came to any sort of Japanese food.

With his stomach filled, Yuuri found himself suddenly tired, and it seemed the others were feeling the same as they each seemed to be falling into a quiet state of relaxation. Clara had pulled out a throw blanket and was already curling up for a nap, Ari and Charlie were quietly playing a card game, while Riko had pulled out a book and was reading. Imara was staring out the window at the scenery, content with her own thoughts. Before Yuuri knew it, he’d drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

 

He woke slowly a few hours later; the sun was already starting to dip a low as he sat up from his deep slouch.

“Ohayou,” Riko grinned a bit cheekily. Yuuri nodded and looked around; noticing Ari and Clara were gone. Noticing his confusion Riko supplied, “They’re both Prefects so they had to patrol the corridors for a bit. They’ll be back before we get there, which should be in just under hour. You should change into your uniform.” She had spoken all this in Japanese, and Yuuri wondered if she was being considerate, or just liked having an excuse to use it.

Either way, he appreciated it. It would take some adjusting to get used to speaking English all the time, so he wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to speak it now.

“Oh, right. I guess showing up in my training gear wouldn’t work.”

Riko chuckled, “Did you train this morning?”

“Yeah, Minako had me do some. I thought about changing but, I don’t know. I guess I feel a bit more comfortable is these clothes, think I just sort of defaulted to them when I got dressed this morning.”

Riko smiled kindly, “I can imagine. It has to be hard moving far away and coming to a new school, probably just as hard as competing professionally in skating.”

Yuuri laughed, “Yeah, but it’s worth it. Both of them are worth it.” He moved to the luggage rack where Minako had set his trunk and pulled out his uniform, popped into the restroom and changed into his new robes. They were quite a bit thicker than his ones from Mahoutokoro, and Yuuri felt suddenly glad he’d have the rink to escape to after classes; he imagined these robes would be quite hot to wear during the spring and summer months.

He tossed his clothes into his trunk and moved back to the compartment.

“Perfect timing Yuuri,” Imara called, “look!”

He moved towards the window and looked where Imara was pointing. There in the distance, spires rose up from the woods and slowly, the Hogwarts Castle came into view. Yuuri stared, mouth open, realizing all at once that this was all real. He had arrived at Hogwarts.

 

 

**EXTRA: Imara Okiro**

Imara is a veritable badass. She is Muggleborn, born in Mozambique where her father was a Park Ranger at Kruger National Park and her mother was the local doctor. They lived in an extremely remote village on the edge of the Park; her mother was the only doctor for 100 miles.

Imara discovered her magic on accident when she was 8 years old and was with her father as he patrolled the park. They discovered one of the giraffes had been attacked by poachers and was barely alive. Fearing the poachers might be near, her father left her with the animal (actually he told her to wait in the truck, but she disobeyed) and went to search the area to see if he could find signs of the poachers.

Imara was so distraught seeing the animal in distress while it slowly died that she fell onto the animal, crying and hugging it, apologizing over and over for the terrible thing that had happened. Suddenly the giraffe’s skin started stitching together, the wounds healing before her eyes.

Her father returned to find the animal fully restored, and licking Imara clean since she was covered in the creatures own blood. He was obviously confused, but fortunately wizarding officials were able to arrive on scene quickly and determined that Imara was a witch. This was of course after her father shot at them with his gun thinking they were the poachers.

At the age of 11, Imara began attending Uagadou and quickly excelled. Her skill with animals earned her special permission to begin Care of Magical Creatures classes as a first year. Her parents moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo during her first year, where her father became one of the senior Rangers, and her mother served as a Doctor in the town. Imara spent the summers after her first and second years at Virunga, working with the highly endangered Mountain Gorillas.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck during her third year, and her father was killed by rebels as he fought to protect the park and its gorillas. Her mother took action, returned to Mozambique and joined the Muggle Assembly. She was eventually assigned to be an Ambassador to the African Union, where she now fights for better cooperation and an end to rebel violence, as well as environmental protections.

Imara too has not sat silent, speaking in front of both Muggle and Magical Governing bodies throughout the continent, arguing for stronger conservation efforts. She is currently leading the charge to relocate several rare magical creatures into some of the Muggle National Parks so that they can be given magical protection, thus protecting the animals and Muggle Rangers from poachers.

It is already widely rumored that Imara may become a leader in Africa’s Magical government (which is much like the Muggle’s African Union); though she herself says she’ll be happy just being a Park Ranger as she is very humble (and will most likely never mention any of this to her Hogwarts classmates).

It should be noted that Hagrid (the Care of Magical Creatures Professor at Hogwarts) met Imara during her second year when he traveled to Uagadou to study some of their magical creatures while on Christmas holiday. Imara has been desperate to attend Hogwarts ever since.

Like most students at Uagadou, Imara does not need a wand to perform magic, preferring to use hand motions. She did however pick-up a wand while in Diagon Ally to collect her supplies, though she is a bit unsure about using it. Her Hogwarts alumni mentor was Luna Lovegood and her new husband Rolf Scamander.

She has long braided hair, which she gathers up into a ponytail or messy bun at the base of her neck for most occasions. Her skin is a deep ebony, with more than one scar earned from all her work with animals (magical and otherwise). She is a few centimeters taller than Yuuri and has a lean, muscular build, well suited for rock climbing or trekking (or carrying an orphaned baby gorilla). She has very expressive eyes, which can be handy as she has a tendency to be a bit quiet, preferring the company of animals to wizards; however, she is extremely well spoken when she chooses to speak. She's fiercely loyal and protective of those around her, and is constantly seeking more knowledge as a means to better protect those who need her.

_[Kruger and Virunga are real places. Kruger is one of Africa’s largest National Parks, while Virunga is Africa’s first National Park and is the subject of a documentary that you can watch on Netflix. Park Rangers in Africa have incredibly difficult and dangerous jobs and are killed in the line of duty as they fight to protect some of the world’s most endangered animals. Since 1994, around 140 rangers have been killed at Virunga National Park alone (Source: Wikipedia).]_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters keep getting longer and longer...
> 
> So many wonderful comments this weekend; I really appreciated it! Keep 'em coming, as well as questions. I will give more details about what's up with Poster Viktor in the future (and don't worry, we haven't seen the last of the sexy Viktor Poster either). For those worried about Vicchan, he will be back in a later chapter, so don't fret, this is not the last we've seen of the adorable doggo.
> 
> See you next weekend with the opening ceremony! We're going to see a lot of familiar faces starting to pop-up.


	13. The Prefect Salchow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a Wizarding school in China according to official lore, but it is thus far unnamed. I have given it the name Muoshuxi which is the Chinese words for 'magical' and 'to learn' shortened and smashed together. If I have made a terrible (offensive) mistake, please tell me and I will change it.
> 
> Magical Schools of the World
> 
> Hogwarts: United Kingdom  
> Mahoutokoro: Japan  
> Koldovstoretz: Russia  
> Durmstrang: Northern Europe  
> Ilvermorny: North America  
> Beauxbatons: France and surrounding countries  
> Castelobruxo: South America  
> Uagadou: Africa  
> Muoshuxi: China

As they neared Hogsmeade Station and the train began to slow, Ari and Clara returned from their Prefect duties. Yuuri and Imara were still pressed against the window, watching the small village and its accompanying train station slowly come into view, both drinking up the sights.

Finally, the train stopped. Yuuri swallowed thickly, his nerves bubbling up a bit. Imara didn't seem much calmer.

They stepped out into the corridor, now filled with students, and made their way slowly out of the train car. Yuuri had committed to just following Riko when a voice cut through his thoughts.

"First Years! First Years this way!" An absolute giant of a man was booming out above the crowd at the platform, a pack of small students, made even smaller in comparison to the man, were gathered around him. To his surprise, Imara spoke up. "Hello Professor Hagrid."

"Oh Imara! Good to see you, I'd heard you were coming! I'm a bit busy now, but come down to my hut tomorrow for some tea, yeah? Clara can show you the way."

Imara nodded and they continued to move on still following Riko. There in front of them were long lines of carriages, all seeming to be driving themselves. Yuuri couldn't quite believe some animal was really pulling them despite Clara’s assurances.

Clara and Imara stepped towards where the animals would be and Imara reached up and appeared to be petting something. Yuuri heard a sound that seemed a bit horse-like. Clara smiled, and Imara nodded.

"Don't know how you can stand those beasts, they creep me out every time," Charlie muttered as they climbed into the coach.

"So you can see them too?" Yuuri questioned.

"Yeah, neither of us could until halfway through our second year when our Uncle Reggie snuffed it over Christmas pudding." The carriage started to move.

"It's what got me so interested in Magical Creatures," Clara confirmed.

Yuuri had a feeling it would be in bad taste to ask for more details.

"I was worried it'd have to be someone close to you. Seems just any death will do." Imara sighed.

"So you've seen someone die?" Riko asked, carefully.

"Yes. It happens a lot where I'm from. War, disease, hunger. Any number of things can happen to Muggles. It's a fact of life."

They were all quite for a minute, then the castle came into view as they came around a corner, and Yuuri and Imara both lunged for the window. The others laughed. "You'll have plenty of time to see it later, guys!" Ari chuckled.

"Yes, but we'll never have a chance to see it for the first again," Imara answered simply. Yuuri nodded in agreement.

The carriage slowed and they clambered out of the cart. Most of the students were making their way into the large double doors, but a merry voice rang out. "Transfers to me! Over here please! Transfers!"

The others waved and Yuuri and Imara made their way through the crowd towards the unseen voice. Finally there was a parting and they spotted the short, rather round woman, who smiled happily at them. Her hair was a bit untamed, and her hands seemed to have dirt permanently imbedded in the cracks along the knuckles.

"Ah, Mr. Katsuki, Miss Okiro, excellent. I'm Professor Sprout. Welcome to Hogwarts!" She nodded at them.

Yuuri bowed politely, "Hajimemashite."

She motioned them over to join a small group of students who stood off to the side, all looking a bit nervous. Yuuri smiled at the others as he approached with Imara, who simply nodded.

Yuuri couldn’t help but fidget a bit as he stood with the others. There were two girls, one red haired, the other with dark black hair who seemed to already know each other by the way they were whispering back and forth. There were also two Asian boys, one Korean and one Chinese. He made a small bow to them and they each bowed back. Yuuri wondered if they were from Muoshuxi, and was about to ask when Professor Sprout called to them.

“Alright looks like we've got everyone,” a boy with shoulder length hair and tan skin approached and joined their group. “Follow me inside, please.”

They filed in behind Professor Sprout, filtering between the few students that were still straggling in through a set of great double doors.

They entered into a room with a high ceiling, massive staircases, several corridors, and half a dozen doorways heading off in all directions. The walls were covered in what must be a hundred portraits; frames filled to bursting with the inhabitants of what Yuuri thought might be every painting in the castle, all trying to get a peak at the new students. The many painted occupants were all whispering excitedly and pointing openly at the new arrivals.

To the right were 4 huge hourglasses, with large gemstones filling the bottom bulbs, and to the left was another set of double doors where a great din of noise was leaking out from the Great Hall within.

Professor Sprout led them to a small door just past the main hall; Yuuri caught a glimpse of hundreds of heads all sat at long tables as they passed by the large doors.

The side room was small and low ceilinged. It seemed like a meeting room, something used to welcome guests. “Welcome once again,” Professor Sprout smiled excitedly, a twinkle in her eye. “We are happy to welcome all of you to Hogwarts. I’m sure you will all have a wonderful time here! In a few minutes you will each be sorted into your houses; right now we are sorting our first year students and then we will bring you lot in and get you sorted.

“In the meantime I want to give you all a bit of information before you get too distracted by the feast and your new housemates. We were quite lucky that the first of the month happened to fall on a Friday this year so we’ll have 2 days to help you get settled in before we start filling your heads.

"I trust you all were greeted on the train by the students I assigned each of you?” They all nodded, “Excellent. Each of those students is there to assist you should you need it, regardless of which house you sort into. Additionally, one of the 6th year prefects from each house will introduce themselves to you tonight and fill you in on the rules and procedures you’ll need to follow. Either your Prefect or your assigned assistant will be happy to give you a tour of the castle this weekend.

“There will be an intramural Quidditch match tomorrow morning: Gryffindor and Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Most of the students will be at the event so you’ll not want to miss it. In the afternoon, most of the school’s clubs will be having gatherings, so check the notice boards in your house common rooms for details. Clubs are a great way to make friends and get acquainted with the school.

“We’ll also be having a bit of a gathering for all of you tomorrow, to welcome you and let you meet the staff here. But it’s mostly a time for you to get to know each other. The party will be held before dinner, 4pm in the staff lounge.

“Finally, we’ll be having a special trip to Hogsmeade on Sunday, so you can all go and explore the village and have a relaxing afternoon getting to know your club and housemates. We haven’t announced that to the other students yet so keep it a surprise till the Head Mistress announces it tonight, alright?” she winked.

It was a lot of information, but it seemed like they were all really bending over backwards to make the transfers feel welcome; Yuuri couldn’t help but be grateful. Many of the others seemed to feel the same as many of their shoulders seemed to relax.

The door that Yuuri assumed led into the dining hall opened and a shuffling man with rather dirty hair poked his head in, “They’re finishing up now, Professor.”

“Thank you Filch.” She turned to the students. “Shall we?”

Yuuri gulped. The small Chinese boy seemed to be vibrating with so much nervous energy that he teetered a bit and bumped into the tall, grumpy looking man behind him, who Yuuri thought was either scowling or just always had a rather stern look on his face. He looked older than the rest of the students and Yuuri wondered idly if a few seventh years had entered the school as well.

The small boy squeaked out an apology; the man just nodded then held out a hand, directing them to lead the way as the students followed behind Professor Sprout.

They made their way into the hall and Yuuri could instantly feel the gaze of hundreds of eyes pressing on him. He supposed this was good practice for International skating competitions, as the least. He still blushed a bit.

Yuuri’s gaze moved all around as they gathered near the top of the hall. There were hundreds of candles floating in mid air, lighting the enchanted ceiling which showed the night sky outside. At the front of the room was a long table raised up on a riser. There were two empty seats near the middle, the rest were filled with a collection of smiling witches and wizards, including the giant man whom Imara had called Hagrid.

In front of them were four, long tables full of students, and between Yuuri and the tables sat a stool with an old, grubby hat upon it.

A witch Yuuri hadn’t noticed suddenly spoke from the right of the stool. “I will call your name and school. When I do so, please step forward, sit on the stool and place the hat on your head.” She said in a rather sharp voice. She seemed a strict woman, but Yuuri couldn’t help but notice a twinkle in her eye.

“Altin, Otabek. Durmstrang.”

The tall man stepped forward. The hall, which had been silent, was filled with rustling as several students waved and shouted greetings to the man. He smiled a bit as he sat on the stool.

The witch set the hat on his head and suddenly it seemed to shudder before calling out, “Slytherin!”

Yuuri practically jumped at this, he had to admit the last thing he’d been expecting was a talking hat.

The man stood and made his way to the far table, where people were cheering so loud it hurt his ears, which was decorated in green and silver. People at the rest of the tables seemed frustrated to not have Otabek in their house. Yuuri wondered how so many people seemed to know him.

“Babicheva, Mila. Koldovstoretz.”

A redheaded girl stepped up to the stool. There was something familiar about her, but Yuuri couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Gryffindor!”

There was a small roar from the red clad table. Yuuri saw Riko wave Mila over by her and greet her.

“Crispino, Sara. Beauxbatons.”

Yuuri looked up. Crispino. That was the same name at Michele. Could they be related? He said he had a twin sister. But as the hat called out “Ravenclaw!” Yuuri contented himself with asking later.

“De la Inglesia, Leo. Castleobruxo.”

“Hufflepuff!” Things seemed to be moving faster now, as Yuuri’s nerves began to grow.

“Ji, Guang Hong. Muoshuxi” The small Chinese boy squeaked, and several girls made noises that led Yuuri to believe the boy would be adopted by no less than half the school by morning.

“Hufflepuff!” The girls at the yellow draped table screamed with joy and Guang Hong was quickly pulled in to sit alongside Leo who seemed to blush just a little.

“Katsuki, Yuuri. Mahoutokoro.”

Yuuri’s heartbeat was pounding in his ears. He wondered if he was still in his body as he moved forward and sat on the stool. The dingy hat was plopped onto his head and suddenly there was a voice in his ear.

“Hmm, interesting. Quite a sharp mind, an excellent fit for Ravenclaw. But there’s more, so much more. A thirst to prove yourself that would suit Slytherin quite well. Loyalty and kindness that Hufflepuff desires. But there, deep down, courage and strength, fighting to come out.”

Yuuri blinked, unable to stop himself thinking of his free skate. Strength, courage. These were things he desperately wanted, things he needed. He felt like a drowning man struggling desperately for the surface. Swirls of silver hair and sea blue eyes flashed through his mind.

“Yes yes, it’s becoming clearer now. The thing you want, the thing you need, that which you seek can best be gained through GRYFFINDOR!” The final word was shouted out and a tumult of cheers rang out from the red covered table, Riko standing and whistling as Yuuri moved, a bit drunkenly, to sit between her and Mila, who was giving him a rather strange look.

“Congratulations Yuuri!” Riko whispered.

“Lee, Seung-gil. Ivermorny.”

Yuuri smiled. It was easier to just enjoy watching the sorting now that he was sitting.

“Ravenclaw!” The blue covered table cheered again as Seung-gil sat down next to Sara.

“Okiro, Imara. Uagadou.” Yuuri watched as his new friend, the last of the transfers, slowly moves forward to the stool. He can’t help but smile. Imara struck him as being fearless, but he could tell her nerves were getting the best of her now.

The hat was set on her head. The hat took a bit of time before finally calling out, “Ravenclaw!”

There was one final cheer as Professor Sprout took the stool and hat from the other witch, who stepped in front of a small podium.

“Good Evening,” she greeted them, a smile upon her face, “and welcome to another year at Hogwarts. For those who don’t know, I am Professor McGonagall, Head Mistress. We have a few announcements, but we’ll save those until after our feast, so for now, dig in.”

Plates were suddenly filled with piles of food, causing many gasps from the first years and transfers. Yuuri stared at the food in amazement when he saw someone sit in the empty seat across from him.

It was another girl. She was even taller than Otabek, with short cropped hair, long bangs swept off to one side, and an undercut on the other. The asymmetry was interesting to look at, and Yuuri couldn’t help but admire her nerve to wear such a daring hairstyle. He also noticed her uniform was a bit different than the other girls. Rather than wearing a skirt, she had on fitted pants. He couldn’t see her shirt under the robes, but the collar looked more like the boys’ shirt than the girls.

“Hi Yuuri and Mila!” She greeted cheerily. “I’m Jo Taylor, one of the 6th year Prefects.” She smiled kindly and encouraged, “Dig in. There seems to be a lot of options.”

Both Yuuri and Mila began filling their plates. There were loads of delicious foods like roast chicken and potatoes, and big fluffy rolls; but there were also many dishes Yuuri had never seen. He scanned the table trying to find something he recognized when…

“Katsudon!” he cried out excitedly. On a platter not far from her were small bowls of rice, topped with egg and pork.

One of the other students handed him one and asked, “So this is Japanese? What is it?”

“It’s called Katsudon. It’s fried pork cutlet with scrambled eggs, and a sort of sweet and savory fish sauce on top of rice. It’s really good, trust me.”

Riko grabbed a bowl without pause and shoveled down a bite, closing her eyes and humming. “Oh man, it’s been forever since I had this.”

Soon, several others including Jo and Mila were grabbing bowls. After a bite Mila started speaking in Russian so fast Yuuri couldn’t tell one word apart from the next. He gathered the general gist of it all was that she was impressed. The others all followed suit and soon several cries of “Oh my god this is amazing,” and “Merlin’s beard! This is good,” spread throughout the table.

Yuuri and Mila were both looking around the table; Yuuri was sure there had to be a Russian dish. Finally he spotted it and cried out “Pirozhki!” at the same time as Mila yelled, “Borsch!”

They looked at each other. “There are two Russian dishes?” Mila asked.

“Looks like it, maybe one’s for Otabek?” His name sounded like it might be from that region.

Mila shook her head, “He’s not Russian, but maybe the Pirozhki’s are his, they’re pretty popular outside of Russia. Then again, Borsch is too. Borsch is my favorite though, so I think it’s for me. There’s a Caprese Salad over there and that’s Sara’s favorite. I’m guessing Katsudon is your favorite food? I kind of started thinking it’s our favorites since the Japanese dish wasn’t sushi or teriyaki like you would think.”

Yuuri nodded and looked around. “I think you’re right. That fried chicken is Korean, and the dumplings are Chinese.”

“There’s Tamale’s over there, and that’s Mexican.” Jo supplied.

They all made a point to sample as much as they could, though they never did quite identify everything. There were some meat skewers, but no one was sure if they were one of the foods or just part of the regular feast, skewers were pretty common throughout the world after all. There were also some fried dough balls which really, could have been from anywhere.

Soon, the plates started to empty, and the Gryffindor’s all looked full and sleepy, though several were excitedly planning to set off some fireworks in the common room.

Yuuri was sure he could eat no more, when the plates cleared, only to be refilled with mounds of cakes, pastries and ice creams. He groaned thinking of his poor waist line. Mila seemed equally conflicted, but gave in when she spotted a tuxedo cheesecake.

Yuuri’s breaking point had been when Jo pointed out an American style strawberry shortcake. “It uses biscuits, not like the cookies but more like a scone, it’s hard to describe, but it’s covered in strawberries and cream. I had it when I visited my cousins there, it’s really good.”

Yuuri loved strawberries and cream so he had to try it. It turned out to be amazing, and controversial as all the English students tried to understand exactly what the heck biscuits were. They were soon calling over to Seung-gil at Ravenclaw’s table asking for clarification, but much to their disappointment he responded, “I’m from Korea, I only went to Ivermorny because my dad was transferred there just before I turned 11. They already moved back to Korea a couple years ago.”

“They’re sort of like bread, made with shortening, buttermilk and sugar,” Leo supplemented. Several eyes turned to him, confused. He grinned, “I’m Mexican American, but my mom wanted me to learn more about Latin American wizard culture so she sent me to Castleobruxo.”

“Next thing you know they’re going to tell us Sara isn’t French!” Charlie exclaimed loudly enough to be heard clearly from Gryffindor’s table.

“I’m not!” Sara called back. “I’m Italian!”

The whole hall had erupted into laughter.

“Anyone else not from the obvious choice that there school is from?” Charlie questioned, looking a bit pink from laughing.

“I’m from Kazakhstan, not Finland.” Otabek supplied. Charlie slumped down giving up.

The laughter and joking continued for some time, until Professor McGonagall stood and called them to attention.

“Good evening once again, and welcome to all. I have a few start of term notices before we all head off to bed. All students should note that the forest is out of bounds and should not be entered unless escorted by a teacher.

“As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, would like you all to remember that use of magic in the corridors in prohibited. A full list of rules is posted outside his office if you wish to consult it.

“All clubs will be hosting special welcome events tomorrow, so do check your house notice boards for times and activities.

“Quidditch trials will be held next weekend. Please see your House’s captain after the Intramural match tomorrow if you are interested in trying out.

“We will also be having a special trip to Hogsmeade on Sunday for all students 3rd year and above. Once again, check the notice boards for more information."

At this there was a great uproar as students excitedly cheered and began conferring with each other where they should go and what they should buy. Professor McGonagall waited a minute for the noise to settle before continuing.

“We are excited to be welcoming Transfer students to Hogwarts for the first time in our history. I trust you all will make our new arrivals feel at home. As you all know, this change was made in order to encourage more magical cooperation, and from what I’ve seen tonight, I believe you will all will make us proud this year.

“Because of this change, we may adjust some of the school’s rules in order to encourage further collaboration, so if you have a request that would aid you in better reaching out to your fellow students, do not hesitate to ask.

“There will be a lot of changes this year, but all of us on the staff are confident that you will exceed our expectations. Now, to bed!”

There was a great scraping of benches and a rustle of sound as hundreds of feet stood and made their way towards the doors.

“Yuuri, Mila.” Jo beckoned them over.  “Stick with me if you don’t mind. It’ll be a mad house on the stairs.”

The three made their way along the stairs, moving a bit slower than everyone else and Yuuri and Mila couldn’t help but look around. Jo good naturedly waited for them, explaining things as they went.

“Be careful on the stairs. Some of the stair cases move, while others have trick stairs. You just have to kind of learn where things are and how to avoid them.”

Yuuri looked ahead and saw a huge set of staircases that were indeed moving. Not only that, but a series of ghosts where floating about, seemingly directing traffic.

“That one there,” Jo pointed to a ghost with an oversized ruff around his neck, “is our House Ghost, Sir Nicholas. If you ever are lost or need some help, seek him out and he’ll be happy to help.” As they passed, Sir Nicholas waved, a bit too enthusiastically as his head teetered off his shoulders, and would have fallen off if not for a single bit of skin holding it in place.

Mila turned a rather delicate shade of green.

They made their way down a large corridor filled with portraits. They were lagging quite far behind the other Gryffindors, but Jo didn’t seem to mind.

“This hall is dedicated to those who fell while defending Hogwarts from Voldemort.” Yuuri looked around. There had to be 50 portraits here, and some of them featured the faces of children. A heavy weight seemed to settle in his stomach.

“Don’t look so glum, eh?” A young, red-haired man spoke up from his frame. Yuuri thought he looked a rather lot like the proprietors of the joke shop in London. “You’re at Hogwarts now, so cheer up. My time here was the best, wouldn’t trade a moment of it for the world, even the Umbridge part, or the dying bit. Worth it to see you all here.”

“Umbridge?” Yuuri asked.

An unseen voice spoke, “She was a Ministry official sent to Hogwarts in order to keep tabs on Dumbledore when the Minister of the day believed Dumbledore to be making up lies about Voldemort’s return in an attempt to seize power. She was cruel and abused the students.” A man Yuuri had seen at the staff table came up to them and stood beside the portrait of the red-haired man, smiling. “But students rose up against her, giving power back to the teachers, and eventually driving her from the castle. My brother here was at the front lines of that fight, and in the fight with Voldemort a few years later. He was a perfect example of a Gryffindor.”

“Oh come off it Percy, you’ll make me sound too neat. Tell them about the toilet seat!”

“The toilet seat?” Mila questioned.

The man, Percy, cleared his throat. “My brother Fred, and his twin George, were the greatest pranksters this castle has ever seen. They once stole a toilet seat in order to cheer up our little sister. They also blew up a toilet, shoved a bully into a wardrobe where he got lost for several months before he showed up in a toilet, and turned one of the corridors into a swamp. Does that about cover it?” He glanced at the portrait whose occupants was grinning cheekily.

“Not even half of it, but it’s a start. And don’t let my brother fool you. He seems nice now, but he was a real git back in the day.”

“Fred.”

“Well you’re better now. Last thing you said to me was a joke, literally my last moment in life is hearing you make a joke. Best day of my life.”

“You shouldn’t joke about that.”

“Why not, it’s my death, not yours.”

Percy sighed and Jo grinned. “Yuuri, Mila. This is Professor Weasley. He’s the Defense Against the Dark Art teacher and Head of Gryffindor House.”

“I beg you not to listen to what my brother says too much, but, if you’re ever in need, he’s completely loyal to us Gryffindors and will always aid you.”

“And if you tell the folks at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes I sent you, you’ll get a free gift with purchase.”

Percy bowed his head into his hand. “Here I am, trying to be a teacher and you’re shilling for the family business.”

“Of course! I started it with George after all. Who knew Mom and Ron would start working there after it all was said and done. I mean really, our mother, helping out part-time at a joke shop.”

“It’s almost as unbelievable as me giving up my post at the Ministry to become a lowly teacher.”

“Yeah, right mystery that one is. If I wasn’t already dead, I’d die of shock.”

Jo couldn’t help herself and began laughing, and Yuuri noticed Professor Weasley was blushing slightly. “Yes yes, well, it’s time for bed, all of you.” And he began to motion them off down the hall.

Yuuri followed Jo and Mila and heard Mila ask, “Why is it odd that he’d become a teacher?”

“Are you taking Defense Against the Dark Arts?” Both Yuuri and Mila nodded. “He usually tells the story on the first day. He likes to remind us of the importance of seeing the truth in the world around us and thinking critically. I’ll let him tell you. It’s his story after all.”

They arrived at the end of the corridor and were presented with a large portrait of an extremely fat lady in a pink fluffy dress.

“Oh, are these our new transfers Jo Ann?”

Jo winced slightly at the name, “Yep, this is them. Meet Yuuri and Mila. This lady here monitors the door to our common room. You have to give her the password to enter, and it changes every other week, so make sure you’re aware of it. No password, no entry, that’s the rule.” She paused and looked up at the lady, “Triple Salchow” she said.

Both Mila and Yuuri’s mouths dropped open. “Figure Skating?!” they cried out at once.

Jo laughed. “You’re both figure skaters. We Prefects got bios on all of you, and we decided if we got you two we'd use a skating password in your honor."

Yuuri was confused, they were both figure skaters? Mila grinned at him, “How rude Yuuri, you don’t even recognize me.”

Yuuri stammered, “I’m sorry, I had no idea! But how do you know me?”

Mila rolled her eyes, “Oh course I’d know you. My idiot rink mates haven’t shut up about you all summer.”

“Your rink mates?” a sudden worry began to surface within him. She was Russian, and a figure skater. A mess of red hair hugging Viktor at World’s right alongside Yuri Plisetsky…

“Viktor Nikiforov and Yuri Plisetsky.” She grinned, enjoying the way his mouth dropped open yet again.

“But why would they…”

“Well Yuri is pissed because you beat him in Seoul. He’s watched your performance about 20 times that I’ve seen since then. He also says you stole his name.”

“I’m older…” He was cut off by Jo clearing her throat and directing them into the dormitory.

Yuuri climbed into the portrait hole. Yuuri was about to ask Mila what Viktor had said about him when they were swarmed by dozens of Gryffindors, eager to get to know their new Housemates and party late into the night. It wasn’t until he was finally lying down onto his new 4-poster bed several hours later that he realized Mila hadn’t fully answered the question.

 

**EXTRA: Ari Seif**

Ari is a Syria national and a Pureblood wizard. He has rich, olive colored skin and short, dark hair. He is thin and of average height.

His family moved to Egypt just after his second birthday where his father worked as a Curse Breaker for Gringotts. Some of Ari’s first memories are of playing by the pyramids. When he was 8 years old, his father ran afoul of a rather nasty trap in the tomb he was searching and ended up trapped for several days while his coworkers performed a complicated series of counter curses to get him out. Ever since he has had a terrible fear of small dark places, and strangely enough, sphinx cats.

After taking a desk job at the bank, he moved his family to England. They had two daughters after their arrival, one born only a few weeks after the move, the next two years later. His mother now works as a translator at the Ministry as she is fluent in over a dozen languages.

Ari is currently the top male student in the 6th year, with his friend Charlie close behind him. The two have a friendly rivalry going to see who will take the spot of Head Boy, though neither is particularly keen on the position as it would require a lot of extra work. If you ask him who his best friend is he’d tell you it’s Charlie, but the reality is it’s Riko, the two of them bonding while on the train to Hogwarts in their first year when another boy made fun of Ari’s accent and Riko punched him in the nose.

Ari enjoys Gobstones and Quidditch, though he’s never had much talent at either. He is co-Leader of the Defense Against the Dark Arts Club and a Prefect. His favorite class is Ancient Runes and he has considered working for Gringotts after graduation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! We're at Hogwarts! I hope you enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces. If you want to know more about all the foods from the banquet, let me know in the comments and I can answer that with the next chapter. There will also be bios for the YOI characters, so you'll get more background on their magical lives over time. Don't worry, I have plenty of chapters left to cover them all. As a note, Jo is the last major original character that will be added. I hadn't planned on making her a big deal until I really got into this chapter and realized there was something missing. You'll learn a lot more about her next chapter.
> 
> This chapter and the next were really fun to write, but took a long time to edit. This is really the first time I've had to blend the two worlds together SO heavily, so it took a lot of work. Next chapter will be out tomorrow. Comments are always appreciated and really encourage my writing. Enjoy!


	14. Four Tables

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention last time but the biscuit scene was inspired by my own constant struggles to explain biscuits to my English friends. It is one of life's great struggles.
> 
> This chapter grew 20% longer in the past day, so enjoy the extra long look into Yuuri's life at Hogwarts. :)

Yuuri woke up the next morning not long after the sun rose in the sky despite the heavy curtains that surrounded his bed, keeping the sleeping area dark and restful. He supposed the time zone change was going to take some getting used to.

Stretching, he stood up and decided to quietly put away his things (so as not to disturb his roommates). There were 7 beds in the room. From what he could tell, the rooms moved and changed in order to accommodate however many students needed to occupy the space.

It was not uncomfortable. His area of the room had a night stand with some shelves for books and a wardrobe to hold his items, along with his trunk that sat at the end of his bed.

He opened the trunk and pulled out the well protected tube. There was a perfect spot right over his bed for the poster. He unrolled the paper to find Viktor sleepily staring up at him, obviously just having been woken by the unfurling.

"Good Morning," he whispered, "we're here."

Viktor smiled and looked around eagerly. Yuuri couldn't help but smile at how excited Viktor was. He carefully hung the poster and sat on his bed for a few minutes watching Viktor skate around his rink and do a few spins and jumps. It made Yuuri eager for the ice.

He quickly unpacked his other things, storing away his various items within his wardrobe and placing his books on the shelves, before changing into some training gear. Viktor watched and seemed a bit sad that Yuuri would be leaving so soon, but seemed reluctant to keep the boy from training.

Yuuri pulled out his phone, wondering if he could at least listen to music with it, and was surprised to see it not only working, but with a full signal and half a dozen notifications from his friends and family checking in on him. He smiled and fired off texts to each of them, letting them know he was settled in and already made a few friends. He made a mental note to ask Riko about this later; according to everything he read, the magic at Hogwarts interfered way too much with Muggle technology for it to function properly, but clearly his phone was fine

He slipped the phone and a pair of ear buds in his pocket and gave a quick wave to Viktor (who blew him a kiss), and made his way down to the common room. When he couldn’t sleep, the best thing he could do was train. And maybe explore a bit.

He passed up the notice board (he’d check it later) and made his way out into the corridor. It had been fairly simple getting up here, just a matter of climbing the stairs and getting into this hallway. In the light of day he realized there were a lot of halls leading off this main thoroughfare that could lead to some confusion. However, with so many portraits lining the hall, it formed a clear path from the hidden dormitory to the stair cases.

He carefully counted the flights of stairs as he descended, and before he knew it he was out and onto the grounds.

The sun was still fairly low over the horizon, but shown bright enough to illuminate the lush landscape, complete with a forest, a large pristine lake, and a colorful Quidditch stadium. There was even a small hut and haddock near the forest where a few large animals were grazing.

 Slipping the ear buds into his ears and turning on his favorite training playlist, he set off at a slow jog, following a well maintained path that looped its way around the lake. The path was deserted and Yuuri reveled in the solitude as he picked up with pace along the trail.

It was then that his phone began to buzz in his pocket. He checked the caller ID and saw Phichit’s name appear. Smiling he answered, hearing cries of, "Yuuri!" before he even said a word.

He smiled, "Hi Phichit!"

"How is this working? I thought..."

"I don't know any more than you, all I know is it does. But now I can call you!"

Phichit squealed with delight. "So what's it like? Tell me everything!" Yuuri grinned and began telling Phichit all about the train ride and his first night at Hogwarts all while maintaining his steady jog. He told him about the Hogwarts students he'd met, and even the food.

He was on his second lap of the lake when he paused, "There is one more thing."

"Oooh, sounds juicy, tell me!"

"Have you ever heard of a skater named Mila Babicheva?"

"No, why?"

"She's here."

"What? Seriously? There's another figure skater there? Is she any good? Hang on, I'll Google her!" Yuuri waited while Phichit looked Mila up. "Whoa, she IS good. She took silver in the Junior Grand Prix last year."

"Look where she's from."

"It says she's from Russia." Phichit paused, "no way!"

"She's Viktor’s rink mate."

"No freaking way! Yuuri! You're classmates with Viktor’s rink mate! That's incredible! Oh my god, Yuuri!"

"I know! We’re the only two who got put in Gryffindor too so we got to talk a bit after dinner. She said Viktor and Yuri Plisetsky have been talking about me all summer."

"Really!? What have they been saying?"

"Well I guess Yuri is frustrated I beat him."

"Understandable. He was the favorite and you came out of nowhere and totally wrecked him. But what about Viktor?"

"I don't know. Just as she was going to tell me we got caught up in a welcome party."

“Oh my god, cockblocking party, why?!”

Yuuri couldn’t help but snort, “Phichit…So what do I do? Should I ask her about him?”

“Definitely. Tell her you’re a fan and ask her if she can introduce you sometime. He must know who you are, and you’re another skater so I’m sure neither of them would mind.”

“But I’m nowhere near…”

“Yuuri. Everyone was saying Yuri Plisetsky is the next Viktor Nikiforov and you beat him. You’re on their level. You might be new but you have the talent. Did Mila know you were a skater?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you’re on their radar. This is an unbelievable chance, so make sure you ask.”

Yuuri sighed, “Ok.” He didn’t say when he’d ask, he was going to need some serious mental preparation before asking a classmate to formally introduce him to her Muggle friend.

“Good.” Phichit paused and Yuuri could tell he was being kind enough to think of a different subject to talk about. Hopefully this one would be a little less embarrassing. “So, other than that, any cuties on your radar?”

“Phichit!” Yuuri slapped himself mentally for having the audacity to think Phichit would ever stop trying to make him blush 24/7.

“Oh come on, think of it as a back-up plan.”

“Phichit…” Yuuri sighed.

“Let me guess, you’re too hung-up on Viktor to notice?”

“Basically, yes.” Phichit was quiet with understanding. “But I’m having a lot of fun and making friends. There are some club meetings today, a party for the transfer students tonight, and then we go to Hogsmeade tomorrow. Should I get you anything from the shops? I hear theres a candy store and a joke shop.”

“Oh! Yeah, send me some stuff. And see if they have Muggle safe candy so I can share it with Yuuko and Takeshi.”

“Will do.” Yuuri smiled, Phichit might tease, but he always had Yuuri’s best interests at heart. “Will you say hi to everyone for me?”

“Of course. Call me tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’ll try and call about this same time if the others are around and want to talk to.”

“You got it; now go get you a date with Viktor!”

“Phichit!”

“Bye!”

Yuuri grinned. Having access to his phone and being able to call Phichit was going to make a lot of things so much easier. Sure, he couldn’t call every day with how busy he’d be, but just being able to hear his friend’s voice when he needed would be such a relief. Not to mention the rest of his family, friends and Minako. He’d have to see how the signal was at the skating rink; maybe he could video chat with Celestino while he practiced.

He set out to complete another lap of the lake, and after working up a good sweat, he decided to finish his run with a lap of Quidditch pitch. There were now several people on brooms circling the field slowly that hadn’t been there when his run began.

The ground around the stadium was even smoother than the Lake path so he picked up his pace, circling the stands, He noticed several staircases leading up into the stadium and began to jog up one of them, his legs burning by the time he reached the top. The view was incredible.

He’d honestly never really cared for Quiddich so he’d never been to a stadium. The whole place was done up in the House colors, with huge rows of benches for the audience to observe from. At eye level were 6 large, round hoops, and flying all around, above and below, were more than a dozen flyers, all practicing in the early morning light.

It was really interesting to watch, but just as he thought about sitting for a few minutes to do his cool down stretches, one of the flyers came down. "We're going to release the bludgers in a minute, and our two beaters are from different houses so they aren't totally in sync yet. There's a chance of the balls coming into the stands, so you might want to head off." The boy sped off as quickly as he had come, towards a small group of people who were watching the practice in the next section, and began delivering the same warning. Yuuri decided that was enough of a cue for him to head back to the dormitory for a shower before breakfast.

He kept his pace up all the way back to the dormitory before hitting up the showers. There were no baths and Yuuri had to admit he was disappointed. Growing up at a hot spring had spoiled him in that regard.

By the time he was back to his room, he could hear some of his roommates starting to wake from behind their curtains. Yuuri had met all his roommates the night before, and they seemed nice, but he just hadn't clicked with them yet. Part of the problem might have been that so many of the Gryffindor girls had been talking to him the night before once they discovered he was a figure skater. He noticed the eyes of several of the boys looking at him jealously.

Maybe he’d just let it slip sometime before bed that he had a massive crush on the Russian man whose poster hung above his bed and had fantasies about sucking his…

He closed his eyes and sighed, willing himself to remember that not everyone would like him and that was ok. When he opened his eyes, Poster Viktor was watching him with concern. He smiled weakly and Viktor mimed something that seemed like reassurance. He had to admit, having his idol here with him to encourage him really helped his anxiety. He took a deep steadying breath and looked back up at his 2D idol and saw a kind look on the man’s face.

After searching for a minute he found an outlet, which seemed bizarre and out of place despite its usefulness, and plugged his phone in to charge. Deciding it was time to head off, he waved goodbye to Poster Viktor (who pouted) and made his way down into the common room to the large notice board.

To say there were a lot of clubs would be an understatement. In addition to Quidditch there was a club for every subject, Wizards Chest, Gobstones, a choir, a dueling club, and even a book club. His eyes found the Defense Against the Dark Arts Club and he made sure to note the meeting time of 1'oclock.

“Yuuuuuri!” Riko cheerily greeted.

“Ohayou, Riko,” Yuuri responded.

“What’s up?”

“Just looking at the clubs,” his brow furrowed, “what’s the Kreecher’s Helpers club?”

“Ah, that one’s interesting. He’s a House Elf that lives in the kitchens and works here. Basically the club works to help improve wizard relations with House Elves. They do everything from helping teach the elves how to read and write, to holding events where some of the elves tell their stories about their lives with wizards to raise awareness of how cruel some households are. Every month the club takes over dinner preparations so the elves can have a night off. They even bring an extra table to the Great Hall so the elves can eat with us.

“If you see them having an open event, you should try to go. Kreecher has a really interesting story since he was living in the Head Quarters of the Order of the Phoenix during the last war, and his master was in Voldemort’s inner circle in the one before that. The man died protecting Kreecher. It’s really heartbreaking, but Kreecher likes to tell it because it was that, and the actions of Harry Potter that led him to come to Hogwarts and lead the House elves in the fight against Voldemort and the Death Eaters.”

“The House elves fought?”

“Yup, pretty nastily too. Hogwarts is their home and they were more than willing to do whatever it took to protect it.”

“Wow,” Yuuri didn’t have much experience with House Elves, but he knew that many rich families in Japan had them. He was sure they weren’t treated any better than Muggleborns.

Yuuri scanned over more flyers, “A Muggle Cultural club?”

Riko grinned, “Even if you don’t join that club, go to their parties. They have gaming parties, dances, movie nights, all sorts of things. It’s actually one of the most successful clubs because pretty much everyone in the school attends at least one of their meetings.”

“Sounds amazing.” Yuuri made a mental note to keep an eye out for their parties; maybe he could convince them to throw a GPF viewing party.

That's when his eyes spotted it, half hidden behind the Care of Magical Creatures club flyer, was a piece of parchment with an ice skate on it.

_Figure Skating Club - Where Art Meets Sport_

_Meetings every Wednesday, 7 o’clock- All Skill Levels Welcome_

_Looking for experienced skaters to help lead club and teach others. If interested, please come to Dungeon 6 at 1pm, Saturday September 2nd._

Drat, it was at the same time as the DADA meeting. Yuuri couldn’t help but fidget over what to do. Riko noticed and questioned him, “What’s wrong?”

 “Well I really wanted to go to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Club meeting, but there’s a skating club meeting at the same time.”

“So go to skating. The DADA club meeting is just a ‘Hey, join our club’ event. Ari and I already know you want to join so we can you fill you in on anything you miss.”

Yuuri smacked himself on the forehead and Riko laughed, “You forgot I was one of the leaders, huh?”

Yuuri smiled sheepishly, “Yeah, sorry about that.”

“S’ok, there have been just a _few_ things going on over the past day after all. Make it up to me by sitting with us at the Quidditch match. Bunch of us DADA club people are going to sit together; we can introduce you to everyone then.” She grinned.

Yuuri nodded enthusiastically, but just then his stomach gave a huge gurgle causing Riko to snort. “Ok, ok! Breakfast first!”

They made their way out of the common room and headed for the Great Hall. “Hey Riko, I was wondering. I read that Muggle Tech doesn’t work here, but my phone was working this morning. Is that normal?”

She nodded, “Phones and stuff didn’t work at all up until our 4th year. The Muggle Studies teacher had been asking for it for years, and the Ministry finally figured out how to sort of separate out the magic. Basically they set up little sort of gathering centers throughout the castle, kind of like lightning rods. They collect the ambient magic so that the air is clear enough for electrical and digital currents to get through.”

“Wow, that’s incredible.”

“Yup, there’s a big push for more folks to take Muggle studies so they can do more projects like that. In the past the class was mostly for people who wanted an easy OWL, but that project showed that understanding Muggle Technology can actually be pretty interesting stuff.”

Yuuri was really impressed, and made a mental note to ask the Muggle Studies teacher for more information.

They reached the Great Hall, and Yuuri’s stomach eagerly growled at all the smells. There were heaping plates of Eggs, Toast, Sausages, Fruits and Yogurts spread throughout the table.  Yuuri took a pear, some eggs and wheat toast, wanting to keep the meal light after such a heavy course the night before. It was odd not to have rice though.

As they ate, some of Riko’s friends came over to the Gryffindor table to say hello and introduce themselves to Yuuri. However, after a quick greeting they headed back to their own House table. 

Yuuri frowned. It seemed clear that this was a causal meal, with people filtering in and out, and a relaxing chatter spreading through the hall; but still, everyone sat at their House’s tables. It made sense at dinner, being such a formal meal, but why at breakfast?

He was pulled from his thoughts by some commotion at the Slytherin table. There was a large group of students all gathered around, excitedly talking about something. Yuuri could only just glimpse Otabek in their midst.

Riko looked over, “Weird, you would think they would have gotten over the excitement of getting that Quiddich player in their house last night.”

“Huh?”

Riko nodded to the door, “Lets head over to the pitch and I’ll fill you in there.”

They headed out the doors, joining a slow but steady stream of students walking out to the Quidditch pitch. “Normally during official matches people sit by house, but during a match like today, people will be a lot more casual where they sit, so our club agreed to sit between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw sections.”

They climbed the stairs, Riko getting a bit winded by the top, and made their way over to a small group which included Ari and Charlie.

“Hey Yuuri!” They greeted as he grew closer. They spent a minute or so introducing Yuuri to the club members, some of whom Yuuri had already meant, but whose names he had completely forgotten.

“Where’s Clara and Imara?” Yuuri asked, looking at the group and not spotting them.

“Apparently one of the unicorns went into labor this morning and is having a hard time.” Charlie answered. “They went down to help Hagrid at dawn.”

Riko cooed a bit at the prospect of a new baby unicorn, then remembered her promise to Yuuri, “Charlie, explain who that Otabek guy is to Yuuri.”

“Huh, why didn’t you explain it to him?”

“Because I would say ‘He’s a Quidditch player’ and then you would say ‘How could you not mention this, this, and this’ and end up re-explaining it all yourself, so I figured I’d just save us all a step.” She grinned smugly and Charlie rolled his eyes.

“So Otabek’s a Quidditch player?” Yuuri asked.

“Yeah, and a pretty famous one at that. He was part of Kazakhstan’s Junior Quidditch squad at the Quiddich World Cup last year. He was 16 then so it was his last year as a Junior. I hear he’s not on the senior team now, but only because he’s finishing school.”

“Does that mean he’s a 7th year transfer then? If he was 16 at last year’s cup, then he’s got to be 17 now.”

Ari answered, “Nope, they only took 6th years. Don’t know why he’s behind a year. Anyways, sounds like he’ll be playing for the Slytherin House team since he’s not officially associated with any professional teams, so they’re all having a moment right now. If they can rally a good squad around him, Slytherin will be pretty hard to stop.”

The rest of the students surrounding them nodded, faces tightening. Yuuri didn’t really follow Quiddich, but he knew that it was deadly serious for those who did. He’d seen his classmates come to school depressed the day after the World Cup last year when Japan had lost in the semi-final, coming in 3rd.

Soon, the stands filled, and the section around Yuuri grew more and more busy with DADA club members. Some of his roommates were even there. He did notice, however, that there were no Slytherins.

“We’re trying to fix that,” Riko acknowledge when he mentioned it to her. “The problem is the club’s been run by mostly Gryffindors since the beginning, and Slytherins and Gryffindors are kind of like oil and water. That’s why Ari is leading the club with me this year. His job is to reach out to the Slytherins and try and get a few in while I keep the Gryffindor’s in check. Last thing we need is to finally get a Slytherin member and have them driven off by some hotheaded Gryffindor.”

Soon the match was under way. Yuuri might not know much about Quidditch, but even he could tell this was a fairly casual match. Neither team was very in sync; considering they’d only had a few hours to blend their players into a unit, it wasn’t surprising. The Slytherin/Ravenclaw team seemed to be better off however. The entire unit of chasers were all from Ravenclaw, while the beaters and keeper were Slytherins.

However, neither Slytherin nor Ravenclaw had their old Seeker, so the Ravenclaw currently circling the field searching for the tiny golden snitch was completely inexperienced. They might be dominating on goals, but if the Gryffindor seeker, who was a 3 year veteran (according to Ari) at the position, managed a quick catch, none of the chasers’ hard work would matter.

To counter this, the Slytherin beaters seemed to have turned their focus completely onto the seeker, keeping her distracted as much as possible to buy time, not only for their seeker, but for their chasers to score more than 150 points.

Gryffindor and Hufflepuff both had one beater. The Hufflepuff was devoting themselves to protecting the seeker, while the Gryffindor was on the offensive, trying to slow down and take out the fairly impressive Ravenclaw line.

It was a messy match, but the entire crowd was still into it. Ravenclaws and Slytherins were cheering for each other, while Hufflepuff and Gryffindor students had begun an echoing rally cry, with two cheerleaders (one from each house), chanting back and forth, tossing the call to the other house in a undulating, rhythmic call. It was entertaining at the very least.

“The whole goal for this year is to break up divisions within the school,” Ari mentioned quietly beside Yuuri as his house’s Chasers tore down the field heading for the 9th score. “When Voldemort attacked, some Slytherin’s were quick to sell out fellow students, and even to fight against them. The professors want to change things so that kind of thing never happens again.” He sighed, “It’s hard though, there’s a lot of bad history there.”

Yuuri nodded. Even as an outsider, he could see the divisions. He thought about mentioning the tables at breakfast to Ari when suddenly the whole stadium gasped. The Gryffindor seeker was tearing off, whirling, dodging and diving, narrowly avoiding bludgers and players who were suddenly all converging on the girl. There was a massive crunch, as a bludger, 4 chasers and a beater all collided, with only the Gryffindor seeker breaking free.

With a sprint of speed the seeker leaned forward, so far off her broom Yuuri had no idea how she held on, and grabbed the tiny golden ball in her hand.

Arms thrown to the sky, a huge cheer went out, as the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors (Riko included) cheered on their teams. Ari and Charlie both scoffed, and Yuuri couldn’t help but grin.

The group of friends slowly made their way down to lunch, separating as they entered the hall. Once more, Yuuri felt the strangeness of the action. They were all friends, why did they sit apart? Everyone talked about breaking down barriers, and yet here, in the simplest of places, they upheld them.

He and Riko found Jo and Mila at the table and sat down. Jo looked very windswept. “Have fun, Yuuri?”

“Uh, yeah. Quidditch isn’t really my thing, but it was fun.”

A group of Quidditch players passed by and smacked Jo on the shoulder, “Good catch man.”

Yuuri looked up, confused, “Wait, Jo, you were the Seeker?”

The biggest Quidditch player laughed, “Yeah, our man Jo here is the best. Doesn’t matter if Slytherin’s got some pro-level Chaser, with Jo hunting down the Snitch we’ll be unstoppable. He’s the best Seeker at Hogwarts since Harry Potter.”

Yuuri scratched his head as they walked away, he felt like he must not be grasping something; they kept changing which pronouns they were using for Jo.

Riko seemed to understand his confusion, “Jo, you should clarify things for him. You’re confusing the poor boy.”

“Oh yeah. Sorry Yuuri, I forget sometimes that people don’t know; it’s kind of old news around here now. Let’s see, what was it, third year?” She looked at Riko who nodded. Mila, who had sat down nearby after parting from Sara, was looking at them all curiously now as well. Maybe it wasn’t just his poor English causing the confusion. “Well, when I was in my third year I started to realize that I really hated wearing the skirts of the girl’s uniforms. I mean I always had, but it just got unbearable. I had long hair and stuff then too because my mother insisted. I was totally miserable.

“I felt like I was angry all the time, and if I wasn’t angry, I was depressed. I had just joined the Quidditch team and I felt like the only time I was happy when I was in uniform, out on the pitch. My grades were slipping though and Professor McGonagall wanted to take me off the team thinking it was interfering with my studies.

“We ended up talking for a long time, about everything I was feeling; how out of place I felt. I was uncomfortable in my own skin. After a while we realized then that I’m not a girl, at least not totally.

“Professor McGonagall let me try wearing a boy’s uniform for a while, but that didn’t feel right either. She helped me cut my hair to my shoulders, and eventually even had Madam Malkin come and try some different uniform options for me. That’s when we came up with my current uniform. It’s not male or female, just kind of in the middle like me. Some people call me he, some call me she, even others call me they. It’s all fine as long as I don’t have to be forced into one box or the other.

“My mom wasn’t happy when she saw me, but my grades went up, and a little over a year later I was made a Prefect, so she’s kind of accepted it now. She even went with me when I got this haircut.”

Yuuri was impressed. Not only had Jo come out while at school, but the staff had clearly supported her.

“Hope that doesn’t weird you out,” Jo looked a bit nervous, “Riko’s told me Asian cultures can be a bit more traditional.” She looked at Mila, “And I know Russia is pretty against these types of things as well.”

Yuuri held up his hands, “No! Its fine, Jo! I’m bi so it’s really great to hear this place is so accepting. I think you’re really brave to be so honest about yourself.” He nibbled on his lip a bit, “Being in the middle is really hard. You don’t really fit anywhere. Everything is wrong and right at the same time. You second guess yourself a lot.”

Mila quirked an eye brow at him for a moment before responding, “I’m a figure skater. Half my friends are gay.” Her eyes flicked to Sara who was sitting at the Ravenclaw table, a light blush dusting her cheeks. “It’d be pretty hypocritical of me if I had any problems with other people being a little outside of the box.”

Jo smiled at her and reached out her hands to squeeze each of their hands in a reassuring manner. Riko grinned and added, “McGonagall says they’re going to rename the Head Boy and Head Girl position Head Students next year and just pick the top two.”

“Does that mean you’re one of the top students?” Yuuri asked.

Riko puffed out some air, “She’s THE top student. Ari and Charlie are neck and neck for second, but neither will be catching up to Jo anytime soon.”

Jo blushed a bit, “I have to wonder if they will include the transfers in consideration though. Professor Weasley told me your scores on the OWLs were particularly high, Yuuri. You and one other transfer student scored right around the same as me.”

“Who was the other transfer student to score that high?” Riko asked. Yuuri couldn’t help but blush. They might not know his scores, but they obviously had a good idea.

“Don’t know, he wouldn’t say. He only told me about Yuuri since he’s in our house.”

“Well it wasn’t me,” sighed Mila. “My results weren’t great; I don’t even know how I got in. Sara’s were better than mine, but not by much. I don’t know about anyone else.” She looked up, “Did you get a scholarship Yuuri?”

Yuuri blushed again and all three girls smiled. “Figured,” Mila said. “Sara told me even Imara didn’t get one, and she got one of the highest Care of Magical Creature OWL scores of all time. I guess she got a D in History of Magic though and it really brought her average down.”

“It’s got to be whoever scored the same as you two.” Riko muttered.

“Please no detective work, Riko,” Jo grimaced. “We don’t need a repeat of the Triwizard Tournament.”

Yuuri was about to ask what happened when Riko’s eyes went wide, “Jo! I didn’t realize. I totally forgot. The Tournament!”

“What about it?” Jo’s brow furrowed, trying to make sense out of Riko’s jumbled train of thought.

“Remember the Durmstrang crowd? They had one kid who was in the same year as us, but whose 16th birthday was on Halloween, the day the Champions were picked!”

Jo scrunched up her forehead, “Yeah, I remember. He was in 4th years classes with us, but was a year older. I think his classmates said he had just started late. But what about it?”

Riko was searching through her phone frantically. She suddenly shouted, “Ah ha! I knew it, I knew it! Look!”

She pushed her phone forward with a picture open; the other three looked at it closely. There was a picture of a group of students, Yuuri recognized Riko and Jo, but off to the side was a lone Durmstrang student, scowling a bit; clearly being pulled into the photo by some other students Yuuri didn’t know.

He was tall with dark hair and tanned skin. Recognition flashed to his mind as Yuuri realized who it was.

“Otabek!” Jo exclaimed. “I totally forgot he was part of their Triwizard contingent! No wonder the Slytherins all knew him.”

“What’s the Triwizard Tournament?” Mila asked.

“It’s this Tournament held every few years where Durmstrang, Hogwarts and Beauxbatons all pick a champion to represent them to compete in a series of magical tasks. We hosted it for the second time, at least in recent history, 2 years ago.” Jo supplied.

“So Otabek was Durmstrang’s champion?” Mila asked.

“No,” Riko was quick to answer. “I forget who was chosen, some 7th year. But he was considered a rising star at their school, mostly for the Quidditch thing, so they brought him along. After he wasn’t chosen he was pretty much just a normal student here. It makes sense why he’d transfer here; I remember he became really close with a bunch of Slytherin’s.”

Yuuri glanced at the picture again, noticing the time. He had less than 30 minutes before the skating club meeting. With having to return to his room to change and get his skates, and of course accounting for time spent getting lost trying to find the dungeon, he was going to be cutting it close. “Jo, Riko; how do I get to Dungeon 6?”

“Oh yeah, the skating club. Sorry Yuuri, I forgot.” Riko apologized. “When you exit the hall, look at the stairs. You take the hall to the left of the stairs. You’ll find another set of stairs just down the way that heads to the dungeons. You’ll be right at the end of the hall so you just head down, there’s big numbers on the doors so you should find it pretty easy.”

“You’re joining the skating club, Yuuri?” Mila asked.

“Yeah, you’re not?”

“I’m not sure I really have time to teach others to skate when I need to be working on my own programs. But I guess you can tell me how it is. If the leader is good, maybe it won’t be so bad. I just don’t want to feel bad if I have to neglect the club for my own self, you know?”

Yuuri nodded. “I’ll let you know then. As long as the leader, whoever it is, is pretty good, you and I could just help out when we have time. I just figure it’ll be a nice way to make friends."

“I was planning to check it out once it got started,” Jo admitted. “I’ve never skated, but I figure it’ll be fun to try.”

Yuuri grinned, “Sure, I’d be happy to help you learn, but I’d better go if I’m going to get my stuff and make it in time.”

“Get moving Yuuri. I’ll fill you in on DADA later.” Riko reminded him.

Yuuri thanked the girls and headed back to his dormitory. The place was deserted so he took his time changing into his training gear and gathering up his skates. He had changed them over to his self-sharpening blades, and they looked absolutely pristine.

Poster Viktor was looking eagerly at his skates and Yuuri allowed himself a minute to tell him about them and their features. Viktor looked impressed. “Sorry I’m so busy, I’m kind of neglecting you aren’t I.”

Poster Viktor just made his heart shape with his hands and smiled. It was very understanding. He then made a shooing motion and Yuuri laughed. “Alright alright, I’m going. Can’t be late for skating, right?”

2D Viktor winked and waved.

Yuuri headed back down the stairs, taking the hallway Riko had indicated, found the next set of stairs, following them until he was led into a very dark and dank hallway, lined with lit torches and numerous doors, all numbered just as she promised. On his left was #12, and on his right was #1, which meant Dungeon 6 would be all the way at the end.

He sighed and began trudging down the long hallway. It was quiet down here, peaceful. He could even imagine warming up out in this hallway, undisturbed in the evenings. It felt like a back stairwell at a skating rink and he liked that.

He finally found the door, the very last one just as he suspected, and opened the heavy wooden barrier. He was instantly greeted by the cold air and the smell that was unique to skating rinks that always reminded Yuuri of home.

The room was dark, with no lights or lamps lit; the only light filtering in was from a series of tall, narrow windows along the far wall, painting rays of light across the smooth ice.

The sound of skates gliding on the ice greeted his ears, cutting and slicing as the skater spin and jumped along the smooth surface. It was the sound of someone skating alone, a sound Yuuri knew well.

But from the moment he entered the room, something began to shift.  From within his very soul came the sound of a piano beginning to play, a slow sweet melody of a song that Yuuri had no name for, but had been playing within his heart his whole life. This had happened before during some of his most important moments on the ice; Minako had suggested it was his magic. He didn’t know if she was right, but he knew, as the music within him filled him, that something important was about to happen.

Everything about this moment drew his eyes to the ice, to the blade and boot that was flowing over the dark, slick ice, flicking into being between the beams of light. The sound mesmerized him, the light drew him in, the feel of the cold air and smell of the ice; everything called to him and his soul sang back in return.

His gaze moved up a pair of muscular legs, covered in fitted, black training pants, much like the ones Yuuri wore now. Up further to the chest, which was toned with lean muscle, seemingly painted over with a black, scooped neck, 3/4s length sleeved shirt; the chest that was now turned towards him.

Yuuri’s eyes moved up to the face, and he gasped as he caught sight of sea-blue eyes alight with a smile, surrounded by long silver hair that was dancing as the man moved towards him, arms reaching out towards him, calling him. Yuuri’s soul begged to reach out.

And then the man spoke one word in a soft, accented voice, full of joy; sounding as if his plea from the ice had been heard and been answered. A part of Yuuri’s heart broke, but his soul was soaring. It may as well have been the first word Yuuri had ever heard because with that one word, everything changed.

“Yuuri!”

 

 

**EXTRA: Charlie and Clara Covington**

Charlie and Clara were born 11 months and 8 days apart, with Charlie being born in September, and Clara born in August. This has led to some confusion that they are actually twins, something they are both quick to correct.

They are Pureblood and lead a rather quiet life with their family outside of Manchester. Charlie is a bit burly, with thick arms and thick brown hair; while Clara is small, and a bit soft, with golden yellow hair. Despite their appearances, Charlie generally prefers academic pursuits which will keep him indoors, while Clara prefers any activity that involves grubbing around in the dirt. Charlie excels in Transfiguration and Potions, while Clara prefers Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology.

They gained the ability to see Thestrals in their second year when their ‘Uncle Reggie snuffed it over Christmas pudding,’ according to Charlie. In reality, he was their Great Uncle, and it was not pudding, but rather a bogie flavored Bertie Bots Every Flavor Bean that did the man in.

Unfortunately for him, the man had complained that he was dying so many times throughout his life, no one took him seriously when he began to choke on the flavored bean. Also unfortunately for him was that he was such an unpleasant man that, upon discovering he’d actually died, no one was all that upset over the loss. His own wife used her “mourning period” as an excuse to vacation the south of France where she flirted with scantily clad men at beaches for more than a month.

Upon return to Hogwarts, both children found they could now see Thestrals, and while Clara found it fascinating, Charlie found it to be a disturbing reminder, and preferred to avoid the beasts whenever possible. Clara is often times considered the kindest person in their year, while Charlie is one of the smartest. In fact, he had been the top boy in his year until his fourth year exams, when he claims to have been hit by a confounding curse during one of the practical examinations, which went unnoticed by anyone until the affects had worn off.

They are from an old magical family, and had never met a Muggle or Muggleborn until they arrived at Hogwarts, however they are both fascinated by Muggles and hope to take a ‘Muggle Vacation’ once they turn 17. Neither of them have concrete plans for after graduation, believing that life changes too quickly to plan that far in advance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Viktuuri! Thanks for holding out for this moment, hope it was worth the wait. The last scene is heavily inspired by that very first scene in the show, so queue up episode 1 if you want to "see" it.
> 
> Next week's chapters will have lots of answers to some of the questions I know you all have about the skater boys. This chapter was pretty heavy on the girls, but don't worry, the boys won't let Yuuri get haremed that easily. Viktor is about to make up for being so absent thus far.
> 
> I hope you all like Jo, she's a really special character to me. She'll get her background bio next week, so feel free to ask any questions you have about her and Riko and I'll make sure to cover them as best I can in their bits.
> 
> Questions and comments are awesome and I love them, so ask away! Thanks as always for reading. :)


	15. Dungeon #6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Throughout this fic there’s been something subtle going on that I wonder if people noticed. It’s something that I did at least somewhat intentionally, and I’m only calling attention to it now because its something I thought long and hard on and figured out why I had subconsciously been doing this, and why it had to change.
> 
> Up until this point Viktor has been interchangeably called both a man and a boy. I did this because Yuuri, while not the narrator, is driving the narrator’s actions, and Yuuri doesn’t really know how to define Viktor. Viktor has always been rather nebulous. He has this strength and maturity that make him seem like such an adult to Yuuri, as someone he can’t quite reach. But there’s also moments where the fact that Viktor really is still a child comes out, and Yuuri likes that.
> 
> As Yuuri gets to know Viktor more and more, he’s going to start seeing Viktor for what he is, which is a teenager just like Yuuri. Yuuri (and by extension the narrator) has never really referred to Viktor as a teen (if I was cool I’d go back and check, but I’d rather write the next chapter). So as Yuuri starts to get to know Viktor, he’s slowly going to change how he refers to the teen. That small change in wording is intentional, because it’s a sign that Yuuri is starting to see Viktor for what he is, not what Yuuri thinks he is, or what Viktor projects. 
> 
> Viktor is a very deep character, and in this chapter you’re going to get your first real glimpse of him. Enjoy!

Yuuri stared at the man before him. “Viktor…” Yuuri’s voice was quiet, a bit nervous, and definitely overwhelmed. “W-what are you doing here?”

“Continuing my magical education same as you.” He winked.

Yuuri blushed, “But…I had no idea you were a wizard.”

Viktor grinned, “Well, I can’t exactly advertise it, now can I? Hey! Can you show me your Quad Toe Loop-Triple Flip combo? I have been dying to see it in person ever since I saw that video!”

“Huh?” Yuuri tilted his head to the side. What video? How did Viktor know about his Quad Toe Loop-Triple Flip combo? Wasn’t it Viktor’s?

Viktor quirked an eyebrow at him, “From that video of you doing your first Quad that you posted last fall. It was beautiful. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you in London. I realized who you were as you were walking away and I tried to get your attention but you didn’t hear me.”

Yuuri was confused, Viktor was talking extremely fast and he kept changing subjects. “But I never posted that video?”

Viktor’s brow furrowed, pulling out his phone he quickly tapped the screen before showing Yuuri the YouTube page and the account name. ‘ _Yuuko_ ,’ Yuuri cursed silently.

“You see! Over 200,000 views! That’s really good for a skating video of an amateur. People are really excited to see you compete; you’re going to the Japanese Nationals right? If you do well you can come to Worlds with me! It’ll be so much fun, we can even room together. Oh and I can help you practice if you need…”

“Wait, slow down!” Yuuri tried to wrap his head around all this. His idol, his _crush_ was talking like they had been competing together for years, like they knew each other, like they had planned all this. “Please, start from the beginning. When did you see that video?”

Viktor lifted his finger to his lips, leaning to the side, “Hmm, probably a day or two after it was posted. I follow a lot of skating tags; I always like to see what others are doing. You made it look so cool I had to put it in my program!”

“Wait, so you added it because of me?” Yuuri blushed furiously.

Viktor nodded eagerly. “I really wanted to land that Quad Flip but it was giving me a lot of trouble at the time. Then I see you just skating, and landing your first Quad ever like it was just as natural as breathing. It was so refreshing to me and it made me sort of step back from it all and just let myself skate for a while. I added the combo to remind myself that I couldn’t force it; I just had to let it happen. Don’t get me wrong, I still practiced it like crazy, but even I didn’t know if I’d land it at Worlds. Probably wouldn’t have if you hadn’t called out to me, what did you say by the way?”

“Uh, Ganbatte. It means ‘Good Luck’. But you didn’t know me at Worlds, right? You didn’t act like it.”

“Well I did, but I just didn’t connect the dots until you were already walking away. I was devastated. I thought I had missed out on my one chance to talk to you. I was thinking I’d have to message you on YouTube. But then I started looking at that rose crown you gave me and I realized it’d been magicked. The roses were so beautiful and blue, I couldn’t imagine how they got them that way, and that’s when I realized they had been charmed. I couldn’t believe it!

“I didn’t have much time since the exhibition and Gala were the next day, but I snuck down to Diagon Alley, hoping I’d spot you. It was a shot in the dark really, but I got lucky. Just as I was leaving I happen to spot you coming out of the sports supply store and you had a Hogwarts jacket on. I had to be getting back to the rink, otherwise I would have said hello.”

“You didn’t come to Hogwarts just for me did you?” Yuuri’s heart pounded. That would be both kind of amazing and a bit creepy.

“Sadly no, but that does sound romantic doesn’t it?” Viktor winked and Yuuri felt a blush creep up his cheeks. “I was already in the process of applying, but knowing another skater like you would be here just motivated me that much more. By the way, what’s your last name?”

“Huh, why do you…”

“Well I knew your first name from when we met. I tried looking at Japanese Skating profiles to learn more about you, but your picture wasn’t there and Japanese is really hard to read!”

“So you’re curious?”

“Basically, yes.”

Yuuri was getting the impression Viktor might be a bit ADHD. It was cute though. “Katsuki. Yuuri Katsuki, though we say the last names first in Japan.”

“So Katsuki Yuuri?” Yuuri nodded.

Viktor beamed, his mouth taking on that cute heart shape as he smiled, a look Yuuri now knew was reserved for when he was happiest. He liked that. “Well, you know, but still, I’m Viktor Nikiforov and it’s very nice to meet you at last!” He held out his hand, Yuuri grasped it, a bit awkwardly. Viktor seemed to notice and tipped his head to the side in question.

“Sorry, just not something I’m used to.”

“Oh right, you bow don’t you?”

“Yeah, but that’s ok. I’m at Hogwarts now and I want to skate internationally so it’s good to get used to Western customs. It’s just a lot, all this and, you know.”

Viktor smiled, “I do know. It’s a lot, but people here are so nice. Not one person has tried to curse my hair today. So different from Durmstrang.”

“You went to Durmstrang? I would have thought you’d be at Koldovstoretz since it’s in Russia.”

“I was supposed to but, well, it’s a long story. It worked out though; Durmstrang encourages students to start a year later so I was able to spend a year focused on skating. That’s why my Junior debut was so successful.”

“Does that mean you had to study the Dark Arts?”

Viktor’s eyes grew dark, “Yeah. Not my favorite class. It’s at least part of why I came here. By the way, what House did you sort into? I was so upset to have had to miss the ceremony last night.”

Yuuri sensed he was trying to change the subject. “Gryffindor. You?”

“Slytherin, but don’t judge me too harshly. I’m definitely not a Dark Wizard! Though the evidence keeps mounting against me I guess.” He was grinning mischievously, ruffling his own hair a bit, “I’m just cunning, ambitious, and resourceful!” He puffed out his chest. Yuuri had to admit, they were good qualities. “Gryffindor is good too of course. Courage, bravery and determination; all qualities a skater should have.”

Yuuri chewed his bottom lip a bit, “Not sure I have any of those.” Despite Minako’s words just a day ago, deep in his heart he was still feeling uncertain if he was fit for his new house.

To his surprise, Viktor laughed. “Are you kidding me? You came halfway across the world by yourself to attend school. You’re working to go to Nationals, you are right?” Yuuri nodded and Viktor beamed, “and you do Quads. If that’s not proof of those qualities I don’t know what is.”

Yuuri couldn’t help the happy feeling swirling in his gut. Viktor was complimenting him. “So um…you’re running the skating club?”

“Oh yeah. To be honest it was sort of a plot to get you down here so I could set-up this perfect little meeting.” Yuuri’s heart stuttered at the confession. “I must say, your timing was splendid. I always did have a flare for drama. But yes, I’m starting a skating club. I figured it might be a good way to make friends. But I wanted to get experienced skaters together so we could organize things, since we’ll probably be helping to teach the others about skating.” He was smiling really brightly now, “Skating has given me a lot, and I want even more people to love it.”

“I feel the same way. I uh, used to get bullied a lot. Skating was my escape. It gave me a lot of strength.” Yuuri silently kicked himself for admitting this to Viktor, but something about him made Yuuri feel at ease sharing these things.

Viktor smiled kindly. “I know what you mean, more than you can probably imagine.” He paused, staring at Yuuri for a minute.  “Would you skate with me Yuuri?”

Yuuri’s heart pounded hard within his chest. He’d had dreams like this, but the reality was too much. He nodded slowly and sat down to put on his skates. He still had so many questions.

“You didn’t really answer me before, but how come no one seems to know you’re a wizard? I mean, the guy at Quality Sporting Supplies seemed to think you’re a Muggle, and everyone’s talking like I’m the first wizard skater. But you and Mila…wait! How come Mila didn’t know you were here? She had no clue you’d be running this club. I asked her if she’d join and she wasn’t sure she wanted to until she knew who was leading it!”

“Mila’s here?” Viktor looked surprised. “But she’s at Koldovstoretz?”

Yuuri shook his head, and finished lacing his skates. It was easier to imagine skating beside Viktor when his mind was on other things. He removed his blade guards and stepped onto the ice. “Mila’s in Gryffindor with me. She told me she was your rink mate last night. Sara’s here too, do you know her?”

Viktor nodded, they were skating side by side now, just slow, lazy loops of the rink. “Mila and Sara have been friends for years. I knew they were both witches, but no, I didn’t know they were here. Mila and I grew up together, but since we started going to different schools, the only time we spend together tends to be surrounded by Muggles, so we really don’t talk about magic.

“To be honest, I’m sort of on the sidelines of the magical community. I would go to classes, and then just head straight to practice. By the time I’d get back to the dorms, I’d have just enough time to do my homework and then I’d sleep. I never really had time to connect.”

“So is that what you’ll be doing this year? Going to classes and then practice?” His heart broke a little, knowing Viktor would be so close but not really getting to spend time with him.

Viktor shook his head and Yuuri let out a breath he hadn’t know he’d been holding, “No, Yakov doesn’t like it, but I’ll only have practice on weekends. That’s what Mila’s been doing for years. It’ll be tough, but I’ll make it work. I’ve kind of put a lot of things on hold so I could focus on skating.”

“But how will you get there? Isn’t your coach in Russia?”

“Floo Network.” Viktor grinned. “Used it at Durmstrang too. I rent a small apartment right across the street from my skating rink. It’s kind of small, but it has a great fireplace. I guess I should offer to let Mila use it too,” he said thoughtfully. “What about you Yuuri? Or is someone setting up Portkeys? I don’t know how common fireplaces are in Japan.”

Yuuri blanched, “I’m not going back. My coach and I are just going to video chat and stuff.”

Viktor’s eyebrows lifted, “But why? That’ll be hard! Shouldn’t they let you set something up? Or maybe your coach can move nearby and you can take Muggle transportation.”

Yuuri shook his head. “I’m still just considered a National Level skater, so I won’t be allowed weekends off until I qualify for International Competition. They want me to focus on my education. As far as my coach, well, he thinks I’m still in Japan, just on the other side of it.”

“Then come with me! Yakov can coach you!”

Yuuri nearly fell over his own blades, “Viktor, there’s no way I can afford to have Yakov coach me! And it doesn’t get around the problem of me not having permission to leave here on weekends.”

“I don’t understand,” Viktor replied honestly. “Celestino is your coach right? I know him, he’s just as good as Yakov, if you can afford him, how could you not afford Yakov?”

Yuuri inwardly kicked himself. Viktor really did have a way of getting him to say way too much. There was nothing for it. “I don’t exactly pay for Celestino.”

Viktor’s eyebrow shot up, “You’re good Yuuri, but Celestino wouldn’t even drop his fees for me…”

Yuuri shook his head, “It’s not like that. Technically my friend Phichit is his student. Phichit’s parents just pay a premium so that his friend can join him for practices.” Yuuri blushed, “My family runs a simple Muggle business. We get by, but money never really allowed for a coach. Had Phichit’s family not helped me out, I never could have afforded a coach capable of supporting me in the seniors.

“I wouldn’t even be at Hogwarts if not for the scholarship. I got two incredible chances at the same time and I’m not willing to let go of either one. I don’t know if it’s the smart choice, but…it’s the one I made.”

There was a pause. Yuuri looked up and saw Viktor studying him with a gentle but intense look.

“That’s very brave Yuuri.” Viktor spoke quietly. “I can see why you’re in Gryffindor.”Viktor sighed, looking off into the distance, “I’m not really your typical Durmstrang student. I didn’t fit in, so it was easy to use skating as an excuse. I was actually going to stop going to school after my OWLs. I’m established enough in skating that I can live a Muggle lifestyle just fine; but then Hogwarts opened its doors and,” he paused, a small smile flirting on his lips and he looked at Yuuri, “It was like all these options I’d never seen before just were right there. I couldn’t say no.

“Honestly this is the first time I’ve ever cared about school. I’m really happy to be here. When my Housemates found out about me this morning they were all so sweet, coming to talk to me at breakfast. I know they get a bad rap from all the Dark Wizard stuff, but they’ve been nothing but kind to me.”

Yuuri remained quiet. So that’s what all the fuss was about this morning.

He’d always seen Viktor as this bubbly skater, but now, meeting him, he saw there was so much more to the teen. Then again, he supposed most people would say the same about him.

“What kind of dance do you do, Yuuri?” Viktor asked, obviously changing the subject.

“Pretty much all kinds. Ballet is my specialty since I did it so much as a kid. My instructor is a witch, and I guess she’s the first one who noticed my magic. She used dance to keep it under control. That’s probably why my performance scores are always so strong.”

Viktor chuckled, “It all makes sense now. Every time I see you skate, it’s like some part of your soul is just right there, ready to burst out. It’s what drew me to you in the first place. Makes sense that it’s your magic.”

He paused, “It’s kind of funny; it was the opposite for me.”

Yuuri looked up, “What do you mean?”

“When I was a kid I was really good at suppressing my magic. I was so good at it that I was too good at it. Well, you know how that can go, you hold it back too long and bad things can happen. I had a dance coach too, and she helped me learn to let it out my emotions a bit. I was always great at technical skating and being perfect at dance, but opening myself up to emotions, now that was a struggle. Once I managed that, my magic followed right along, and it was easier to control than ever. Less of an off/on switch, more of a steady flow.”

There was a look in his eyes that Yuuri couldn’t read as he continued, “I was really lucky to have coaches who cared for me.” He smiled then, looking at Yuuri.

Yuuri smiled back, a thought coming to him, “If it’s not too much to ask, maybe you and Mila could help point out mistakes I make, when you notice them?”

Viktor face lit up. “Of course! With me at your side you’ll definitely win the Grand Prix!”

Yuuri laughed, “That would mean you’d lose, Viktor. Also I’m not eligible for the Grand Prix.”

“Hmm, ok, well I can promise you’ll get to Worlds then where I will soundly beat you. Your silver will look so nice with my hair, don’t you think?”

Yuuri lunged at the other skater, the two of them laughing, twirling after each other on the ice.

 “Let’s skate Yuuri!”

It was hard to keep up with Viktor’s ever shifting mood, but Yuuri couldn’t help but be excited knowing he had so much in common with his idol.

They began skating in earnest, showing each other their jumps. Yuuri was nervous at first, but decided to show off his Triple Axel. He blushed beyond furiously when Viktor clapped and called out, “Amazing!”

“Um, Viktor, could you do your Quad Flip?”

Viktor grinned, “Sure, but you still owe me the Quad Toe-Triple Flip combo.”

“You first.”

Viktor chuckled and skated off, setting up his approach before leaping into the air, even higher than he had at Worlds, cleanly landing the impressive jump.

Gulping a bit, Yuuri began his approach, taking an extra lap to calm his thoughts and try to forget who was watching. Soon he was in the air, the months of practice taking over as his muscles moved easily through the jump that had become second nature to him.

“Beautiful. I’ll have to stop using the combo now that you’re entering the bracket. People would just compare us and I’d look bad.”

Yuuri blushed furiously, “Are you kidding? They’d just say I was copying you!”

“Not after I told them you’re who I got it from.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because it’s the truth.” He responded simply.

As they skated together, Viktor talked a bit about the club and his visions for it. Yuuri got the impression the more he talked that Viktor had actually been pretty lonely for the past several years. Outside of his rink mates, he didn’t seem to have any friends. Other skaters were aloof with him because he was so good, and his classmates had obviously not liked him much either.

“But what about you Yuuri?”

“What about me?”

“Surely you had friends you left behind?”

Yuuri shrugged, “I have one really close wizard friend, other than that I’m only close to my family and a few of my Muggle friends I grew up with. It was either come here or not continue my education.”

Viktor’s eyes narrowed, “How come?”

“Muggleborns and most Half-Bloods aren’t allowed to carry-on past the 5th year at Mahoutokoro.”

Viktor looked disgusted, “That’s almost worse than Durmstrang. They don’t let you in if you’re Muggleborn, but at least they don’t string you along.”

Yuuri nodded, “If this hadn’t come up I would have just focused on skating and made the best of it. At least, I hope I would have.”

Around 3 o’clock, Viktor declared an end to their practice session. Their causal skate had grown more serious in the second hour, each of them showing off bits of their programs and critiqued one another. “You know,” Yuuri puffed out as he worked on unlacing his skates, “I worried about staying in top form without my coach here, but with you and Mila here to check me, I feel like it’ll be ok. I think you might be even more Spartan than Minako-sensei.”

Viktor laughed, “Rink mates can be just as important as coaches. That sense of friendly competition can really drive you, but also having some allies on the ice can help you sort through a lot of weaknesses. Mila and I do it all the time for each other; I certainly don’t mind doing it for you too, and I’m sure Mila won’t either.”

“I don’t know; she was really unsure about joining this club thinking it might take away from her training.”

Viktor smiled kindly, “She’s just nervous. This is her first year in the seniors and there’s a lot riding on her. She’s got her first GPF qualifier in November; I think she’ll feel better once she’s settled into her new training schedule.” He paused, looking at Yuuri, “You’re going to the party right? I heard there’ll be snacks. I already missed Pirozhkis and apparently some divine dish called Katsudon, I can’t risk missing out again!” He made the cutest pout.

“Ah yeah, the Pirozhkis were really good. The Katsudon was good too, though not as good as my moms.”

Viktor perked up, “So it’s Japanese?” Yuuri nodded. “Ugh! I can’t believe I missed it.” He began pulling off his skates and gathering his gear.

“What were you doing anyways that made you late? There’s no competitions until next month for the Grand Prix.”

Viktor rolled his eyes. “My dear father is a pureblood and it seems he was majorly pissed that I transferred to Hogwarts without telling him. Even more pissed that I got a full scholarship so he couldn’t stop me by cutting me off. He decided to lock me in his creepy basement to stop me from going. Didn’t work out though. I learned how to pick locks years ago. Father always underestimates Muggles and their clever tricks.” He grinned.

Yuuri was both horrified and impressed. Only two students had gotten full rides and he had wondered who got the second one. Viktor must be seriously smart to be able to keep up his training schedule and keep up those kinds of grades. But still, to be locked in a basement… “So how’d you get here?”

“Called my tutor. I know, not the most magically interesting reaction, but I didn’t fancy having to walk to Mila’s house on the other side of St. Petersburg with all of my things just to use an owl. Once she located me, she helped me get everything sorted and brought me to Hogsmeade.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but scratch his head, “It seems like you would have beaten the train here.”

Viktor nodded, “I would have, but one of the things I had to deal with, given that I no longer can call my father’s house home, took a bit of time. My tutor, her name’s Angelina by the way, had to spend hours trying to convince my father to let her go inside and grab the rest of my belongings and papers and things. I had my passport so I would have been ok, but well, there were things I didn’t want to leave behind.

“In the end, Angelina had to do a fancy bit of wand work to get my father to let her in. I have to say, if that’s the kind of stuff we learn here at Hogwarts than I have definitely made the right choice.” He chuckled. Yuuri could not understand how he could be so lighthearted about literally having to blast his way past his father not 24 hours ago. Viktor seemed to notice his unease, “Don’t worry about it. Father and I haven’t been close for years. Mila’s family and Yakov have been my true family for a long time now.”

Yuuri was a little floored by the story to say the least. “I’m surprised he even let you skate.”

“It was my mother’s doing. He might not like it but he doesn’t have the heart to go against her wishes.” He picked up his things, “Well, shall we get going? I think we both could use a bit of time to freshen up. Your stamina is amazing by the way.”

Yuuri blushed, but nodded. They made their way into the hall. “Yuuri, would you mind if I ate dinner with you tonight?”

Yuuri stumbled over his own feet for a moment in the dark hallway. Talk about out of left field. Viktor seemed especially adept at always surprising him.

He thought about the tables, how strictly everyone seemed to adhere to the seating arrangements.  “Uh sure, I don’t mind, but are we allowed to? Won’t your housemates be mad at you coming to the Gryffindor table?”

Viktor shrugged completely unconcerned, “This whole transfer program is supposed to break down barriers between wizards, and I want to talk to you more about skating. Those Slytherin’s are in for a shock; I’m not about to let them tell me who I can and can’t hang out with.” He threw his arm around Yuuri’s shoulders, causing the dark haired boy’s face to flush beet red; he was thankful the hallway was so dimly lit.

“If you missed the ceremony, how’d you know what was said in the speech?”

“I got the short version from Professor Sprout when I got here. She and the Head Mistress thoughtfully waited up for me, and then summoned Professor Slughorn once I’d been sorted. It was really very kind.”

They arrived at the main staircase and Viktor removed his arm from Yuuri’s shoulders. Yuuri lamented its loss a bit. “I’m afraid I have to leave you here, Yuuri.” Viktor sighed. “Slytherin dungeons are over that way, and I’ve heard everyone else is up above. But I’ll see you at the party in an hour, yes?”

Yuuri nodded and Viktor smiled, waved, and headed off down another dark hallway.

Yuuri huffed out a huge breath, he seemed to have a problem remembering to breathe around Viktor, and began the long ascent up the stairs. He had just spent two hours talking to his idol. His idol who he’d see again in less than an hour. His idol who wanted to have dinner with him. His idol who was willing to sort of coach him. His idol who was way cuter in person than he’d ever imagined.

By the time he reached his dormitory he was out of breathe, less from the walk and more from the panic attack he was trying desperately to control. Poster Viktor was frantically miming breathing motions at him. Yuuri didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was sadly the last person he wanted to see right now.

He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his phone, tapping frantically at the screen until the video call connected.

“Phichit!’ He cried, relief flooding over him as he saw Phichit’s sleepy face. He’d forgotten to factor in time zones. “I’m so sorry, I woke you!”

Phichit sat up sleepily, “No, Yuuri, its ok, what’s wrong, why are you out of breath?”

“He’s here Phichit.”

“Who?”

“Viktor.”

Phichit blinked at him, slowly. “Yuuri…”

“I swear Phichit I’m not crazy. Viktor is a wizard. He’s here; I just skated with him for 2 hours! I will get a selfie with him tonight and send it to you just please believe me!”

“Oh my god Yuuri. Are you serious? Viktor Nikiforov, the best skater in the world is a wizard and at Hogwarts?!”

“Yes!” Yuuri’s breath was picking up again.

“Ok Yuuri, it’s ok, breathe.”

Yuuri took a moment to settle his breathing, listening to his friend talk about his latest homework assignment in an attempt to relax him.

“He asked if he could sit with me at dinner tonight.” Yuuri whispered. “I think it’s just to talk about skating, but even when we were talking about skating today, we talked about other things too. It just felt so natural Phichit. He’s so nice.”

Phichit smiled. “Yuuri, he talked to you all day about skating. You’ll be training together. You’re in a skating club with him. He’s not sitting with you at dinner to talk about skating.”

Yuuri blushed and peeked up at Phichit, “I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“Aw, you’re so cute when you’re smitten. Look, whatever his intentions, it’s clear he wants to know more about you. Whether that’s just friendship or something more,” Yuuri’s heart stuttered in hope, “it’s a good thing. Just enjoy it. Play your cards right and maybe he can score you some tickets to the Grand Prix Final!”

“Phichit! I can’t use a friendship with Viktor to get tickets!”

Then again, Viktor did probably get some tickets, and he didn’t seem to be close with his family or have many friends…

“You’re thinking about it aren’t you?”

“Shut up.”

Phichit laughed, “Don’t you have a party to be getting to?”

Yuuri looked at the time; he’d be cutting it close. “Yeah, I’d better get going if I want to be able to shower.”

Phichit laughed, “Good night, Yuuri.”

“Night, Phichit.”

Grabbing a change of clothes (nice fitting jeans and a long sleeved shirt that accented his muscular torso, not that he was trying or anything), he quickly made his way down to the bathroom. After a quick shower and change Yuuri was back in his room. He tamed his hair and stuffed his phone in his pocket. He noticed the small laundry basket at the bottom of his wardrobe had already been cleaned of his morning training gear, the clothes clean and folded back in his wardrobe.

He smiled, and thinking quickly, scrawled a quick note and folded it over the top of the basket so whoever cleaned out his laundry next would see it:

_I’ll have a lot of dirty clothes because of training, so I really appreciate you helping me keep them clean. Thank you!_

Satisfied, he closed his wardrobe and headed off to the transfer party.

 

 

**EXTRA: Jo Taylor**

Jo Taylor is a Half-blood; her mother is an American, Muggleborn witch and her father is a British Wizard. They met when her father was on holiday in the states (he has a certain fondness for American rollercoaster’s) and it was love at first sight. The couple eventually moved to England and had their only child, and settled in as a happy little family.

Unfortunately, it was not to last, with Jo’s father eventually leaving stating that he couldn’t deal with his wife’s whims any longer just before Jo’s 11th birthday. Her father is still an important part of her life, a Ministry worker who works hard to fund Jo’s education at Hogwarts. She spends 1 month of her summer vacation with her father every year. She also travels to the US yearly to visit her Muggle cousins, none of whom have any idea she is a witch.

Near the end of her second year, puberty took Jo on a wild ride. Before then, her only complaint about her body had been her long hair, which mother insisted she keep long, often times petting it and lamenting her own inability to grow such fine long hair. But around that time other changes began to occur, which made her increasingly uncomfortable with her body, especially when wearing her school uniform.

It was just before the end of term in her second year that she played Quidditch for the first time in a small scrimmage match with the House team. No one had expected much from her so they placed her in the seeker’s role. Much to their surprise she caught the snitch in under 5 minutes. Thinking it was a fluke they released the snitch again. This time she caught it in only 3 minutes.

At the start of her third year she officially joined the team. It became her refuge, the one place where she didn’t constantly feel a sense of wrongness about her body given the gender neutral uniforms the team wore.

The stress of her internal struggles caused her grades to slip, and Professor McGonagall stepped in out of concern. Through a series of talks over several weeks, it began to emerge that Jo was having difficulty with her gender identity, and steps were made to help her feel more at ease. Her uniform is gender neutral, with fitted black pants, and pressed white shirt that has a slimmer fit than the boys shirt, and her sweater is a looser version of the girl’s button up cardigan.

Jo now identifies as non-binary, preferring to use the umbrella term rather than a more fixed term such as agendered or pansexual. She herself doesn’t quite know how to define herself, and likes the freedom that being ambiguously in the middle affords her. She never cares what pronouns people use for her as long as they don’t try and force her into being one thing or another. She has no particular interest in things like a sex change, but wouldn’t be bothered if she suddenly woke up biological man one morning. She also wouldn’t say no to a breast reduction; they get in the way when she’s playing Quidditch.

Her relationship has remained close with Professor McGonagall, and the two enjoy weekly tea together. Jo considered the Head Mistress to be like an Aunt to her. Near the end of her fourth year, during one of their weekly teas, Professor McGonagall had an unusual guest, a Japanese Witch by the name of Minako Okukawa.

This witch was requesting, as she seemed to have been doing for more than twenty years, that Hogwarts allow transfer student. Professor McGonagall was about to dismiss the woman, as she had every year, when Jo spoke up, asking why it wasn’t possible?

The three women talked about all of the many regulations and rules that would need to be changed or adjusted, not to mention getting permission from the school governors. Minako argued that she could get the majority of the governors on-board due to her connections; she just needed the school to support her efforts.

McGonagall again admitted it was less about the school than the ministry itself, and that’s when Jo stepped in, mentioning that her father (whom she almost never mentions) is a member of the Department for International Cooperation.

This set in motion a series of events over the summer that included Jo forgoing her annual holiday to the Americas, to instead argue to many different Ministry Department Heads the benefits of allowing foreign wizard children into the country. By the start of the school term, the Ministry had consented enough that all that was needed was the approval of the school Governors, which came inexplicably quickly after they were all invited to a special even hosted by Minako.

While no one would openly admit that Jo Taylor was the driving force behind the change, many would admit that it is nearly impossible to argue against her logic. Many believe she will be Minister of Magic someday, though Jo herself has simpler aims, claiming she wants to work at Hogwarts so she can be in place to help other children like her.

Her full name is Jo Ann Taylor but hates to be referred to by her middle name. She has short, light brown hair, with long bangs on the right, and a closely shaved patch on the left side of her face. She is exceptionally tall with calm blue eyes that can flash dangerously when she gets angry. She is widely considered throughout the school as being the best friend you could have, and the very worst enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This chapter is a bit later out than normal, and to be honest, up until around midnight last night I thought it might be the only chapter out this week. It's been a very long week. But its here, and the next chapter will be here tomorrow. Things are going to be picking up over the next few chapters, lots of questions will be answered, but many more will be asked. It should be fun. :)
> 
> I'm so excited to show you more of Viktor. This chapter was mostly just Yuuri and Viktor, but don't worry, all the others will be coming back around. Viktor and Yuuri aren't going to ignore their friends for each other (I won't let them). Also, I hope the casual ADHD reference doesn't bother anyone, it's not meant as a joke. I truly think Viktor is ADHD, I thought about not saying anything and just letting it show, but I wanted to say it outright because people with ADHD can do amazing things, like win gold medals (or write fanfictions).
> 
> I hope Jo's gender comes across clearly, as well as her general personality. She'll be back next chapter and well, I'm pretty excited about it. :) Any more questions or clarifications about her, please just ask!
> 
> Thank you as always for reading and commenting. Comments and kudos drive me and challenge me. Please also share this fic if you're enjoying it, the more the merrier!


	16. Legal Apparition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why does no one know Viktor is a Wizard? Why does Mila not even know he's coming to Hogwarts? 
> 
> The answers will be revealed, and some of Yuuri's happiest memories will take on new meaning as he learns more about his idol.

It was only after Yuuri had excited the deserted common room that he realized he had no idea where the Staff Room was located.

He groaned at his forgetfulness and looked around at the portraits; hoping one of them could help him. Professor Weasley had said his brother’s portrait would help Gryffindors in need. Unfortunately for Yuuri, Fred seemed to be out of his portrait, because only a blank canvas stared back.

“Wotcher?”

Yuuri turned and saw a woman with bright purple hair looking at him curiously. “Um, I’m sorry, but I need to get to the staff room and don’t know the way. I was hoping Fred could help me but he seems to be out.”

“New Transfer?” she asked. Yuuri nodded. “No problem then, follow me!” She took off a easy pace, leading Yuuri along the corridor. “Name’s Tonks by the way.”

“My name’s Yuuri, it’s nice to meet you.” She nodded, and then tripped over something unseen in the painting she was crossing, tumbling out of sight. She popped up a moment later, “Whoops.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, don’t mind me. I can fight dark wizards with the best of them, but give me a smooth flat surface and I’m done for. Head down one flight of stairs, I’ll meet you at that landscape over there,” she pointed at a large painting just visible on the floor below.

Yuuri walked down the next flight of stairs to find Tonks already waiting. She set off down the hall. “Are you a Gryffindor too?” Yuuri asked.

“Nope, Hufflepuff. My husband was though.”

“Oh…” Yuuri realized this woman had left behind a family. He wondered if they kept a portrait of her at their home.

“He died a few minutes before I did. His portrait is up in that same hall. We switch off between here and my mother’s home. Our son’s there, nice to be able to keep an eye on him.” Her voice was sad.

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri whispered.

She nodded, still moving picture to picture. “That hallway is full of sadness, but also hope. Everyone there died protecting this place, protecting others from those who would hurt them. I wish I could have been there for my son, but I think our deaths helped to ensure a better world for him.” She sniffed a bit.

“Anyways, Yuuri, we’re here, it’s just through this door.” She paused, then said, “You should know I loved my time at Hogwarts. It’s the most wonderful place in the world. Don’t let the past drag you down too much, just focus on the future. Alright?”

Yuuri nodded, “Thank you for your help.”

“No problem. Now go have so fun, yeah?” She set off at a quicker pace than before, back to the corridor outside Gryffindor Tower, Yuuri presumed. She was about halfway down the hall when Yuuri heard a clang and assumed Tonks had tripped again.

“Sorry!” he heard her cry out. There were mutterings of several other portraits as she passed.

Yuuri took a deep breath and opened the door. He wondered if he should knock, at the last moment, peaking in slowly as he opened the door.

The room was low ceilinged but spacious. There were cushy chairs and pillows scattered around the room, with a dozen or so desks pushed to the sides of the room, all covered in a great deal of knick-knacks and papers, obviously belonging to the professors. Near the door was a long table covered in food, from fresh fruits and cheeses, to candies and cakes. Yuuri felt his mouth drool a bit, reminding himself that unless he wanted to do 10 sets of sprints up the Quidditch stadiums stairs in the morning, he needed to keep it under control.

He settled on a couple of large strawberries and an incredibly fragrant peach. There were a few candies that looked particularly interesting so he indulged in a few pieces.

Looking back to the room, he saw that all of the staff he'd seen the night before were mingling around, chatting with each other and the students. A rather round man was sitting in a plump armchair with a large pile of one of the candies in a napkin. He was talking to Leo about something, and Yuuri could tell from here that the boy really wanted an excuse to pull away.

"Ah Yuuri!" Professor Sprout approached him, "settling in alright?"

"Yes ma'am." Yuuri nodded.

She smiled and patted his arm, "You know, we had over 50 applicants to this program, yet you were the only one from Mahoutokoro. We were worried you'd live up to the school’s reputation, but the more we looked into your records, the more impressed we were. You are exactly the kind of student we wanted for this program."

Yuuri felt his heart swell a bit. Sometimes it felt like his time at Mahoutokoro had been a waste, or that maybe he should have tried harder to fit in. Most wizards were half-bloods anyways, he could he just bullied a true Muggleborn and bought himself some peace.

But he never had. He'd borne it all, and for the first time, he felt like the rightness of that decision was confirmed for him.

Professor Sprot moved away and Yuuri took note of the room. It seemed that Viktor was the only one not present, but based on the time, he still wasn't late. The other just must have finished their club meetings early and migrated here to indulge in the promise of free food.

“Yuuri!” Sara cheerfully called. “Finally I get to talk to you! You know my brother Michele don’t you?”

Yuuri nodded.

“I knew it! He’s going to be so jealous when I tell him you’re here too.”

“So he’s a wizard too?”

Sara paused, “Uh no. He’s Muggle, though I guess some would call him a Squib. My grandfather and uncle are wizards, but everyone else is Muggles.” She shrugged.

“Are you a skater too, then?”

She shook her head, “I did it for a while but decided to go with dance. That’s why I chose to go to Beauxbatons. They actually teach dance there, so it was a great option for me. It was hard being apart from my brother but I think it was for the best. Now I dance my hardest for him, and he skates his best for me. We go to each other’s competitions whenever we can too. It’s fun.”

It turned out many of the other Transfer students had rather interesting talents. He already knew Imara was an expert in animal husbandry, both magical and non, and Otabek was a star Quiddich player; but he also learned that Leo was an amateur DJ, Guang Hong had done some Muggle modeling, and Seung-gil practiced Calligraphy. Really, with the exception of Otabek, all of the Transfers seemed to have close ties to Muggles, and interacted with them frequently.

The wheels in his head were turning as he started to slowly piece together how this class of Transfers had been selected, and what the staff had been hoping to achieve. It was ambitious if his hunch was correct. This wouldn’t just build wizarding corporation, but open a lot of wizard eyes to the Muggle world.

Sara’s voice broke into his thoughts, “But imagine the chances of having two skaters here! Mila was so excited to see you.”

“Sara!” Mila whined, blushing a bit.

“Ah actually,” Yuuri began, but was cut off by the door swinging open.

There was Viktor, he really did have a knack for timing, smiling and looking around. “Hi!”

Everyone sat in stunned silence for the longest second Yuuri had ever experienced.

“Viktor!” with a streak of red Mila bowled into Viktor, hugging him tight. “What are you doing here?” Yuuri noticed her voice was thick. Viktor gentle hugged her, smiling kindly at her as her shoulders quietly shook.

Yuuri understood. Coming here, to this unfamiliar place, with all the pressures of skating on top of it, was an amazing thing; but it was also terrifying. To suddenly have someone you’re so close to show up, Yuuri knew if it was him his reaction would be much the same if Phichit walked through that door right now.

“You didn’t tell me,” she muttered.

“You didn’t tell me either,” Viktor teased.

She punched him playfully before pulling back, eyes a bit red. For one dreaded moment Yuuri wondered if they were dating before Mila turned, “This is Viktor. We grew up together and he’s my rink mate.” She walked back to the cushions and sank back down beside Sara, only turning back to Viktor once to stick her tongue out at him.

Viktor laughed, “I’m Viktor Nikiforov, formerly of Durmstrang, Figure skater.”

“World Champion Gold Medalist Figure Skater,” Mila and Yuuri deadpanned in unison.

Viktor grinned, “Well I wasn’t going to brag…”

The others gather round to greet him, Sara hugging him happily as an old friend.

Everyone began settling back in on the cushions, a few moving towards the table to grab more food. Yuuri sat near Mila and Sara, but found the place directly beside him instantly filled with Viktor. Otabek plopped down on Viktor's other side.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here, Nikiforov."

"Nor I you, Altin."

The mood felt so serious for a moment before Viktor burst out laughing and Otabek grinned. They both reached out and shook each other's hand.

"So you guys are friends?" Sara asked. The two Hufflepuffs had just taken seats beside her. Yuuri noticed Seung-gil look a little frustrated at losing the spot beside Sara, but after a moment seemed content to sit between Otabek and Imara.

Otabek shrugged, "Yes and no. We both had to leave school all the time for training and matches so we couldn't really connect with people. If you saw either of us outside of class at the school, we were studying, or on our way to study, or on our way back from studying."

"Occasionally we'd eat too," Viktor chimed in.

Otabek laughed, "Very occasionally. Didn’t you usually grab a sandwich and lunch and head straight to your study nook on the 4th floor."

Viktor faked a look of fear, "Stalker!"

"If anything you're the stalker. I had a spot up there first, and then you followed me and saw how nice it was up there and claimed your own territory."

The two laughed before Viktor continued, “I’m running the skating club and Yuuri and Mila are helping me,” Mila looked about to protest for a moment before nodding, “You should all stop by sometime to learn to skate or just have fun if you already know how.”

Yuuri was worried he’d come on a bit too strong when Seung-gil of all people spoke up, “I’d like to learn.”

Viktor smiled and soon the others were all agreeing to come check it out. Yuuri had to admit, he was impressed.

Conversation swirled again; everyone sharing stories of their home schools and countries, there was a lot of teasing Viktor for missing Pirozhkis during which he gave the most pathetic look towards the Professors, loudly wishing that they would be served again soon. The professors laughed, all mostly watching from the sidelines, chatting together. A few of them broke off occationally to introduce themselves to the students, including the round man who turned out to be Professor Slughorn, the Potions Master and Head of Slytherin.

Yuuri was getting the impression that the Preofessors were mostly here to keep things moving if conversation had been stalled and awkward between the students, but there didn’t seem to be any danger of that.

"What's Durmstrang like?" Leo asked with genuine interest.

"Cold," Viktor said simply.

Otabek rolled his eyes, “it was alright, a bit more traditional than here. Some people are bit more extreme than others, but most folks are pretty normal."

"And then there was me," Viktor grinned.

Otabek rolled his eyes.

"Can I ask something weird?" Guang Hong asked.

"Sure," Viktor and Otabek both replied, neither sure whom he was talking to.

"How come you're in the 6th year, Otabek? I heard you're 17."

"So's Viktor," Sara supplied.

"Really?" Imara asked.

Both Otabek and Viktor nodded.

"We both started a year late," Viktor answered kindly.

"It's a pretty common practice there. Of course not everyone does it, but it's certainly not unusual." Otabek followed-up.

“So does that mean you can Apparate?” Guang Hong asked excitedly.

To Yuuri’s surprised, a dark look crossed Viktor’s face and he abruptly stood and walked off to the snack table, busying himself with making a cup of tea. Otabek sighed, “I can,” he spoke softly. “It was difficult since the practice sessions were all on the weekends, but Viktor and I both took some time off practice to attend.

“I knew my time on the Junior team was nearly over, and that I wouldn’t be going directly to the main team, so it was easier for me to practice, but Viktor was in the middle of practicing for his senior debut.

“He was obsessed with learning it as fast as possible, and by the end of the second session, he had it down. He was reckless and splinched himself half a dozen times, but he nailed it. The instructors were really impressed.

“He only went to 1 or 2 other practice sessions after that, but he couldn’t go to the exam in the first half of the year because his birthday wasn’t till December. Normally, there are two tests in the spring, but for whatever reason, they decided to only offer one exam. It was the first Saturday of April.”

Yuuri and Mila gasped. “That was the World Championships,” they whispered.

Otabek nodded, “He begged them to change it, or to let him test another time, or even just have a teacher apparate him back to school to take the test. They refused. His tutor offered to do it, but they wouldn’t tell her where the school was located. I offered to do it, but they forbid me to leave the school that weekend. I even contacted Viktor Krum, the Bulgaria Seeker – he’s an alumni and I’ve met him a few times, he was willing to do it, but he had a match that same day. He said he’d catch the snitch as fast as possible so he could help, but there was a horrible storm and the match went on for 8 hours. By the time he was done, it was too late.”

Yuuri was stunned, that day, in some ways, the best day of Viktor’s life, had been tainted by such a petty decision. How had the teen managed to smile so happily?

Yuuri thought back to the nerves that had been showing as Viktor took the ice, maybe it was less nerves and more frustration, now that he knew the surrounding circumstances.

“They were trying to force him, I think, to choose between wizards and Muggles. Viktor was always on the edges. His family’s super old and respected among Pure Bloods, but he never fit the mold, always refusing to do what was expected. I wouldn’t say he was bullied, he was too strong to ever be much of a target, but he was disliked. I’m probably one of the few people who spoke to him, but I’ll admit, even I avoided him till I got on my National team in my 2nd year and realized I was above all that bullshit.”

Yuuri felt like a lead weight had settled somewhere in his stomach. There were tears shimmering in a few of the others eyes, and Imara looked furious.

“So in answer to your question, yes, he can Apparate, just not legally.”

“He never told me,” Mila whispered.

“I doubt he told anyone. I was gone most of our 4th year, and by the time I got back he was like a different person. He practiced a lot before, but by the end of 4th year he was leaving every day. We talked at the end of the year and he told me he wasn’t going to carry on past 5th year.”

Mila was near tears now, “I had no idea, he just stopped talking to me about magic, and if I mentioned it he’d walk away.” Otabek grimaced sympathetically. “He’s like my big brother…” she nearly whimpered. Yuuri hugged her gently.

“When Hogwarts announced transfers I told him I was going to go, and asked him to come with me,” Otabek continued in a soft voice. “He’s way too smart to quit before he completed his NEWTs. He agreed, but after the whole Apparition thing I thought for sure he’d back out. I thought he might even refuse to take his OWLs he was so mad.

“I don’t know what happened, but he was different when he came back. He studied harder than ever, even took a month off practice just to prepare for exams. He begged me to practice spells with him every day.”

“It paid off,” Yuuri mumbled. “He got the scholarship.”

The others looked seriously impressed.  

Perhaps sensing the changing mood, the teachers began to descend upon them. Otabek was soon caught by Professor Slughorn, and Sara and Leo were talking to the Muggle Studies professor excitedly within a minute.

Yuuri was about to go talk to go talk to Professor Weasley when Mila caught his arm.

“Viktor was sure there were no other wizards like him and I, ones who could live on the border between Wizards and Muggles happily. He told me the night before Worlds he was going to win and then just become a Muggle; that he was done with it all. It was the first time we’d talked about magic in ages and I had no idea why he was suddenly saying that.

“Then he met you. You had no idea he was a wizard, and you used your magic to create something for him, to show him you cared.” She looked at him seriously, “He wore that crown all night, along with his medal. Hard to say which he was happier about.  

“You saved him. You saved him just by being you. I don’t know you that well Yuuri, but please, don’t hurt him.”

She walked away quickly, dabbing her eyes as she went. Yuuri stood there stunned. He’d saved Viktor? But hadn’t Viktor been the one to save him? His skating had changed Yuuri’s life. Where would he be without it? Yuuri wouldn’t say he was ever suicidal, but without Viktor and skating, without Phichit; it could be a very different story.

“Bravery,” a quiet voice spoke behind him and Yuuri whirled to face the young man in Professors robes, dirty knuckles and slightly messy hair, “doesn’t always mean fighting; sometimes it just means being there for when your friends need you. Sometimes it just means being who you are.”

Yuuri nodded and the man produced a cup of green tea out of thin air and handed it to him. “I’m Professor Longbottom, I teach Herbology with Professor Sprout. I was a Gryffindor too. People would tease me for it because I was the biggest coward you’d have ever met. My magic was terrible too. But my friends didn’t care what others said about me. They protected me while I was weak, and then I protected them when I was strong enough.  That’s how friendship works.”

Professor Longbottom patted Yuuri’s shoulder and then wandered off, seemingly satisfied, leaving Yuuri with his thoughts again. Soon the room was full of chatter and laughter, Mila eventually moved back alongside Sara, smiling again, and Otabek eventually got away from the Head of Slytherin House and struck up what must have been a rather challenging conversation with Seung-gil.

Yuuri stood apart from it for a long while before he felt a quiet presence at his shoulder. He knew it was Viktor without looking, he wasn’t sure how, he just did. They stood silent for a long while, neither feeling the need to speak. It was peaceful, comforting. He sipped his tea and could see Viktor doing the same out of the corner of his eye.

“Yuuri! Viktor!” Leo called and waved him over. Yuuri turned to Viktor who smiled and they wandered over silently. “You guys dance right?” He looked extremely excited.

They both nodded.

“I went to the Muggle Cultural club today and they were making plans for their parties this fall, and one of the ideas was a dance and exhibition. Normally it’s just a dance party with music, but we thought since Sara’s here and I know some basic dance we could maybe do a small exhibition of different Muggle styles. Would you guys help us? What styles do you know? Mila said she does ballet, can you both do it too?”

Yuuri was a bit overwhelmed by his excitement, but Viktor seemed to have recovered and answered cheerfully, “Of course, I know contemporary, some ballroom and Latin too.”

Leo looked excitedly at Yuuri.

“Uh, yeah, all of those,” he indicated to Viktor, “and hip-hop, mostly Japanese style break dancing, and uh...a few other styles.” He was NOT going to mention he knew how to pole dance. “I can do some traditional Japanese dances as well.”

Sara looked excited, “That’s so perfect, I know French style hip-hop, and Leo knows the LA style, we could show how different places do it a bit differently; that would be really interesting!”

“Do you know Flamenco, Yuuri?” Viktor asked suddenly. There was still a certain darkness in the depths of his ice-blue eyes, but he seemed to have put the past behind him, at least for the present. Yuuri nodded and Viktor smiled turning to Leo, “Let me dance Flamenco with Yuuri!”

Sara and Leo both squealed with delight.

“Uh Viktor, I’ve only ever led in Flamenco, I don’t know how to follow.”

Viktor shrugged, “That’s fine, we can keep separate for most of it, but when we come together you can lead. I learned how to do the women’s roll as study for one of my short programs a few years ago.”

Yuuri remembered that program now that Viktor mentioned it. He’d thought it was just Flamenco inspired, but now that he thought about it he realized Viktor was playing the woman’s role which made it all the more impressive.

“We’ll have to work around your schedules, I know the three of you are really busy this fall,” Leo commented.

“When are you thinking of doing it?” Viktor asked.

“November.”

Viktor was already skating his head, “We’re competing every weekend but the third one in November, but Mila has competition the next weekend, no way she could get out of it.”

“I could if the party was on Friday. Yakov will probably have me off for the whole week beforehand; one more night won’t matter much.”

“Hmm,” Viktor murmured, “What about you Yuuri?”

“My only competition is in the second weekend.”

Leo nodded, “That could work.”

“We could celebrate Yuuri making it to Nationals then!” Viktor cheered.

“Or we could be cheering on Mila in the Grand Prix,” Yuuri countered, kind of wanting the attention to fall away from him. “Not to mention you’ll probably be confirmed for the Grand Prix by then.”

“How do you know that, Yuuri?” Viktor asked with a mischievous look in his eyes.

Yuuri rolled his eyes, “Oh please Viktor, you know all skaters practically memorize the Grand Prix placements.”

Several minutes later Viktor was still preening, annoyingly, that Yuuri knew his Grand Prix assignments. Finally Professor McGonagall called their attention and gave them another welcome speech, telling them more about the school and some of the traditions. She invited them to ask questions and spent quite a while telling stories about the past in answer. Finally when the party was nearing its end Viktor piped up, “Professor. I noticed this morning that everyone seems to sit solely at their house tables, is that a rule?”

Yuuri was surprised; Viktor had practically declared he was going to sit with Yuuri at dinner, but now he was asking permission. Maybe he wasn’t as carefree as he seemed.

Professor McGonagall seemed to think for a moment before answering, “No, Mr. Nikiforov, it’s not a rule. Outside of the opening and closing ceremonies that is.”

Viktor grinned, “Then I’ll be sitting at Gryffindor tonight with Yuuri and Mila, that’s ok, right?” He looked like a very excited puppy suddenly, and Yuuri swore he could see the Head Mistress soften just a bit in her rather stern stance as she nodded. Was there anyone not vulnerable to Viktor’s charms?

The party ended shortly after, with all of the Transfers happily making their way down to the Great Hall. Yuuri could see Otabek looking at Viktor with some concern so he held back for just a moment, “I won’t let anyone bother him.”

Otabek nodded, “I’ll keep the Slytherins quiet too. I think he’s going to see just how far he can push things.” Yuuri nodded in agreement, moving quickly forward to catch up to Viktor and Mila, slipping back easily into the conversation. Viktor was explaining his ideas for the skating club and Mila was looking rather impressed by how much thought he had put into it.

The group of transfer students reached the main hall where all of Yuuri’s friends were waiting.

“Hi Yuuri,” Clara called.

He smiled and waved to her. The group was all looking at Viktor curiously except Jo, who Yuuri suspected already knew somehow. She might not be head student yet, but it seemed pretty clear in the short time he’d known her that she wasn’t your average Prefect.

“This is Viktor, he’s a transfer too but he got here a little late. We’re in the skating club together.” He took a moment to introduce Mila, Sara, Imara and Otabek who had all hung back with them to Ari, Charlie, Clara, Riko and Jo. Several of his friends began asking Viktor about the club, and before Yuuri knew it Viktor had convinced them all to come try it out sometime, just as he had with all the transfers.

He couldn’t blame them; it wasn’t every day you could be taught to skate by literally the best skaters in the world who also happened to be charismatic and handsome enough to attract anyone no matter the gender.

They all talked for a few minutes before heading into the Great Hall and breaking off for each of their house tables. All except Viktor who stayed close to Yuuri and Mila, chatting happily. Yuuri could feel eyes on them. Riko was looking at him curiously but Jo didn’t seem to be paying attention at all. She and Riko took seats on one side of the table, Mila, Viktor and Yuuri on the other.

“Um, Viktor,” Riko started. It was very quiet around them suddenly.

“It’s fine,” Jo cut her off. “It’s not against the rules and he’s not going to cause any trouble, are you Viktor?” She finally looked up and smiled kindly at Viktor. He nodded enthusiastically, long hair swaying as he did. It had been tied back during their earlier practice, but he must have let it down before the party. Yuuri couldn’t believe that he’d somehow missed that till just now. A bit of it was falling over his shoulders and it reminded Yuuri of his poster back home.

Thank God he hadn’t brought it with him.

Soon, conversation started again, Viktor seemed a natural at drawing people in, and soon several nearby Gryffindors were enjoying his exciting, if not exaggerated, story of his fight to get to school. At one point he described his father was a wrinkly old badger, much to the delight of those listening. He even had more of their classmates agreeing to check out the skating club before the food had even been served.

“Yuuri,” he whined after some time. Yuuri turned and looked at his face, he had a clear look of ‘you’re neglecting me’ in his eyes and Yuuri gulped. Viktor for his part just grinned, “How did you get ready for the Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL? It was super hard, was it easier for you? My tutor had to drill me in defensive spells for months.”

It was a bit strange hearing that Viktor had had trouble with studying after hearing how he’d so quickly mastered Apparition.

“Durmstrang doesn’t offer the course, does it?” Riko asked.

Viktor nodded, “It’s just Dark Arts so we learn about Dark creatures and how to avoid them, so that part wasn’t bad, but we learn curses rather than protective spells. A lot of the general knowledge is similar, but I virtually had to start from scratch on the practical spell work. Otabek’s lucky he was here for a year, he at least had some foundation.” He looked back at Yuuri expectantly.

“We had Defense Against the Dark Arts classes,” Yuuri supplied, “but it was mostly theoretical lessons, hardly any spell work. Performing any sort of Dark Magic would change your robe’s colors, it was a huge dishonor. Even though defensive spells are completely opposite, somehow it just became the practice to avoid combat spells in general.

“I had to practice with my tutor every day, and my OWLs were in March, so I only had a couple of months to really sort it all out.” He shuddered remembering the boils.

“That’s impressive, Yuuri,” Jo commented. Viktor nodded enthusiastically.

Yuuri blushed, “It was my lowest score so I don’t know how impressive it was.”

“Which was what, an E?” Riko asked teasingly.

Yuuri blushed even more and the other’s all stared at him. Jo just laughed. “Oh come on, you already knew Yuuri’s grades were as good as mine, and Viktor’s too, if my guess is correct?”

It was Viktor’s turn to blush slightly, he seemed unused to praise. Yuuri couldn’t help himself but to reach over and give Viktor’s hand a friendly squeeze, causing him to turn, blinking in surprise. Yuuri’s heart thudded a little when he smiled.

“So,” Mila cut in, “that means you both won’t mind tutoring me, right?”

“Of course not,” Viktor coughed slightly, “I’ve been helping you for years, haven’t I?”

“Not last year.”

Viktor grimaced a bit, “I’d be happy to help, Mila, and you too Riko, if you ever need it.”

“Oh thank god cause I’ve heard 6th year Potions is horrible,” Riko breathed a sigh of relief.

“Will any of you be taking Alchemy?” Yuuri asked.

“Yep,” Viktor and Jo chirped, grinning at each other.

“I could,” Riko said softly, “but I haven’t decided yet. I’m a bit nervous about it to be honest.”

“It’s really fun,” Viktor spoke ardently. “If you qualify for it, you should definitely go for it.” And then he began explaining the basics. Riko’s eyes slowly grew wider, filling with excitement. Yuuri couldn’t help but grin. Alchemy had been one of his favorites too; it was a great mix of math, science and magic.

“I’m taking Arithmancy and Astronomy also, as well as all the core subjects.” Viktor said, suddenly breaking into Yuuri’s thoughts.

“Whoa, Viktor, that’s a lot. That’s like as many as Jo,” Riko looked impressed.

“Actually I have all that plus Ancient Runes,” Jo corrected.

“What about you, Yuri?” Riko asked.

He swallowed the bite of roast beef he had just popped into his mouth, “Same as Viktor only replace Arithmancy with Muggle Studies.”

Jo smiled, “We’ll have a lot of classes together then. You and I, Yuuri, will be together for all our shared classes, but there’s only one class of Alchemy, History of Magic and Astronomy since most people don’t carry on with those, so we’ll have Viktor in class with us for at least those three.

“Astronomy will be interesting,” Jo continued. “We’ll have a short classroom lesson once a week, and then we have observation on Tuesday nights. It’s less star mapping and more casual observance in the NEWT level courses. Lots of people say it’s just a nice place to sit with your friends and talk while you look at the stars. You do things like come up with experiments to find planets or track comets and things like that.”

Mila and Riko were both comparing schedules; apparently they both took Divination and were excitedly talking about the class. Yuuri for his part drifted a bit, rather happy with the knowledge that he’d see Viktor in some classes, especially, now that he knew what Astronomy would be like. He could imagine sitting in the dark quietly talking to Viktor while they looked at the stars. Maybe they’d even hold hands…

 “Yuuri, Yuuri. Can I come to your room tomorrow afternoon?”

He jumped a little, suddenly pulled from his day dream by the silver haired teen himself. “Huh, why do you want to go there?”

“So I can hang-out with you.” He was so straight forward.

“But won’t we hang out in Hogsmeade all day?”

Viktor grinned, “Will we?”

“Plus I’m not sure I’m allowed to bring you up there,” Yuuri continued.

Viktor pouted and looked ready to argue when Jo piped up, “Yuuri, do you want to invite your friend up to your room?”

Yuuri blanched, “Uh, I mean, yes. I’d like that.” He blushed. The thought of having Viktor hanging out in his private space, sitting on his bed did funny things to his stomach.

Jo turned, “Mila, you’ve known Viktor for a while, is he trustworthy?”

Yuuri’s mouth dropped open and Viktor gave Mila the biggest puppy dog eyes. Mila snorted, “He’s an idiot, but yeah, he wouldn’t do anything to cause anyone any trouble.”

Jo nodded, “Then I see no problem with it. Two Gryffindors trust you, that seems like more than enough for me. Just maybe cover his ears when you say the password, yeah?”

Everyone within earshot looked at Jo in shock, well, everyone except Viktor who was beaming and already snuggling against to Yuuri excitedly. Yuuri was beginning to notice how clingy Viktor could be. He didn’t mind it in the least. Viktor smelled very nice. Though his heart might explode out of his chest at any moment.

“Are you crazy?” It was the other 6th year Prefect and one of Yuuri’s roommates. “He’s a Syltherin!”

“So? He’s never done anything to any of us, and he seems nice, plus multiple Gryffindors are willing to vouch for him.”

“They’ve been here a day! We don’t know them.”

Yuuri winced at his words. He knew they weren’t friends, but the distrust hurt. He felt Viktor’s arms wrap around him and saw him glare at the boy. But it wasn’t just Viktor, all up and down the table Gryffindors were now glaring openly at their Prefect.

“Let’s have a vote then,” Jo’s voice was so low it was nearly a whisper, her tone taking on an edge of authority that made Yuuri shiver. “Avery, Smith!” she called.

Two fifth years popped up from the other end of the table. “What’s up Jo?” the boy asked.

“I’d like a vote. A Gryffindor wants to invite his friend from another house…”

“Slytherin!” the 6th year Prefect hissed.

“…up to his dormitory tomorrow afternoon. Another Gryffindor was willing to also vouch for them. Riley is opposed, I’m for allowing it. What do you think?’

The two looked at each other, “Alright,” the girl spoke first, her voice a bit timid and quiet.

“Yeah, as long as they’re not left alone or given our password, I’m alright with it. You’ll keep an eye on things too, won’t you Jo?”

Jo smiled at the fifth year boy, “Of course. They’re my friends too; I’ll probably be hanging out as well. As will Riko and Mila I’m sure.”

The two fifth years nodded, seeming appeased.

“But he’s a Slytherin!” The 6th year Prefect hissed again.

“Oh come off it Riley.” A boy Yuuri recognized from down the table called to the Prefect. “It’s our room too and the rest of us don’t mind.” He smiled at Yuuri, “Don’t mind him, he’s just jealous cause you’re getting attention from Riko and he’s had a crush on her for ages.”

Riko spit out her pumpkin juice she happened to be drinking. “Say what?!”

The 6th Year Prefect, Riley, spluttered, trying to come up with a reply, but Jo was having none of it. “ALL IN FAVOR?” she called out, loud enough to be heard throughout the entire hall, directing every head in the room to face her. Yuuri was blushing, but Jo looked fierce.

“AYE!” Almost every Gryffindor screamed their reply. Yuuri had no idea if they all knew what they were agreeing to, or just agreeing because of Jo’s commanding presence.

“Opposed?” She said quieter, but no less imposing. Riley squeaked. Jo just smiled, “Then it’s decided!” She called out once again.

The whole table cheered.

“Does that mean I can bring Sara up too?” Mila laughed.

“Will someone else vouch for her?” Jo grinned.

“YES!” About 20 Gryffindors including Yuuri and Riko called out. Viktor called out yes too to which made several Gryffindor laughed and remind he wasn’t a Gryffindor and didn’t get a vote. He pouted, saying he should be considered an honorary Gryffindor, offering to show them all pictures of his cute dog if they made it so. Jo just laughed at him and patted him on the head good naturedly.

By the end of the night the whole hall was buzzing with the news that Gryffindor tower was opening up to visitors to other houses and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Prefects were already gathering together deciding if they would do the same. Slytherin’s Prefects looked unwilling but Otabek could already be heard arguing, “We could just have visiting hours in our common room,” which earned many nods from his fellow Slytherins.

Some others were arguing against it when Viktor stood, climbed on top of the Gryffindor bench where he’d been sitting and shouted over, “By the way! I’m bringing my friend over to my room tomorrow!”

“You are?” Yuuri questioned.

“Now wait just one minute Nikiforov!” One of the Slytherin Prefects bellowed. “You can’t just tell us…”

“Why can’t he?” Otabek spoke in a stern voice. Dozens of Slytherins looked at him.

“Nobody from outside our house has been in our dormitory in seven centuries!”

“That’s not actually true,” a familiar quiet voice spoke from the front of the room. Yuuri looked up and saw the eyes of all of the Professors watching over them, many with bemused expressions; but it was Professor Longbottom who had spoken.

“It’s not widely known, but Harry Potter and Ron Weasley entered your common room during their second year, so really, you’ve only kept non-Slytherins out for 13 or so years at best.“

The entire Slytherin table was stunned into silence. Otabek and Viktor exchanged a look. “I have no problem with Yuuri entering our Dormitory with Viktor,” Otabek declared clearly.

“Nor do I,” Professor Slughorn spoke very kindly from the staff table.

The Prefects looked at each other as the entire Hall watched. Finally, the eldest boy sighed and nodded. “Fine, Nikiforov, you can bring your guest into your room, but the rest of you lot, no further than the common room and not without permission from a Prefect or Professor Slughorn! And for the love of Merlin don’t go blabbing the password!”

A great cheer went out throughout the hall and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff both quickly declared their common rooms would have open visiting hours.

Yuuri couldn’t help but laughing and noticed Professor McGonagall quirk an eyebrow at Jo who simply shrugged before going back to her pudding.

“I wonder why you can bring me to your room but not anyone else.” Yuuri mentioned to Viktor as the silver haired teen hopped down from the bench, resuming his previous seat.

“Oh, probably because I have my own room.”

“You what!?” Half the Gryffindor table questioned him at once. He merely winked at all of them.

Yuuri just laughed and then quietly spoke so that only Jo and maybe Viktor could here, “I can’t believe so many people stood up for me like that.”

Jo smiled kindly, “Of course they did. You’re a Gryffindor; doesn’t matter if you sorted a day ago or 6 years ago, you’re trusted just the same.”

Yuuri smiled and listened to Viktor’s excited chatter with the others around them about Hogsmeade as a sense of calm and acceptance washed over him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is our real first look at the dark side of the magical world (outside of the actual Dark Arts that is). I don’t plan on introducing much angst, but instead focusing on these themes introduced and hinted at in this chapter and last to derive most of the drama going forward, as well as the actual pressures from skating. So if you’re wondering where this is going, here’s your first peak. It’s still going to be a mostly happy fic, I don’t want to make your heart hurts too much, or for too long. Next two chapters will be full of more happy fluff.
> 
> Note: Astronomy is actually a Core course, along with History of Magic, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology. I only called it out because I wanted to trigger the conversation about it. ;)
> 
> I don’t know much about dance, but in my research into break dancing, there were many mentions of the different regional styles, and specific call-outs to Japanese and French styles. I tried to figure out what those differences were, but there wasn’t much I could find. Best I could gather is that Japanese style features more aerials and big power moves (like the ones Yuuri does at the banquet), where as French style focuses more on Locking. LA style is (from what I could glean from my research) more focused on Popping, however all styles can incorporate any of these things, so beyond that, I can’t give you much distinction between the styles.
> 
> I meant to give you the background on Riko today, but this week was an absolute bear, so I’m gonna hold that back till next week. I think I’ll also give you Otabek’s “magical world” background as well.
> 
> So what do you think? Hope you’re enjoying. Comments as always fill my heart with joy. Feel free to ask questions in the comments or on tumblr. I’ll be back next week with a trip to Hogsmeade! Yay Butterbeer! Thanks for reading, have a great week. :)


	17. Aurora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Viktor's going to talk about his skating programs this chapters, so here is his music if you'd like to listen to it while you read.  
> [Short Program](https://youtu.be/6R3fYEFCZz8)  
> [Free Skate](https://youtu.be/wZZ7Q6fvqvI)

Yuuri eagerly ran down the road, his short legs moving as fast as they could.

'Minako's back!' His heart seemed to sing. She'd been gone so long, since before his birthday; before he found out he was a wizard! He wanted to tell her so bad, but he couldn't, that was a secret.

But she was back today, just one day. Why only one day? She was staying someplace far away to teach ballet, helping a friend she said. If it was so far away, why would she travel so far for just one day? She should stay longer, a week at least, the she could help Yuuri with his new dance, and he could show her the toe loop he'd just learned!

At least she was here; at least today he could see her.

He arrived at Minako's studio and pulled the door. It was unlocked. 'She's here!' But no one was inside the studio. Instead a small slip of paper was taped to the second set of glass doors.

                _Running a quick errand Yuuri, feel free to go inside and warm-up!_

He smiled and pulled open the glass door, stepping inside the familiar studio. Minako had hired a teacher to handle her classes while she was away, but the teacher wasn't Minako, and the studio wasn't special without his almost mother.

Yuuri performed his stretches, he wanted to just dance but stretches always came first, Minako taught him that. Going to Mahoutokoro in April meant he was growing up, and growing up meant doing the things you were suppose to do like your stretches. He was excited to be growing up, to be a wizard.

Once he was properly stretched, he happily stood and began to dance. Minako had taught him long ago to use dance to express his feelings, to let his body speak for him. When Takeshi pushed him and called him fat, he'd dance to show he was sad. When he found out he was a wizard, he'd dance too show he was nervous but also thrilled. When Minako came back he'd dance to show her how happy he was to see her.

So with joy he danced, spinning and jumping, practicing his newest moves, letting his body sing. But he had to control that part of him now. It was ok in his head, but he understood that the singing in his ears must never get out. He'd always thought it was just his imagination, but now he knew now that it was magic, and he must keep it a secret; so only he could hear the music, hear how beautiful his excitement sounded.

A face, a face in the mirror as he spun.

He stopped and turned, surprised. It was a boy, small like him, but such pale skin. Was he a ghost? His hair was short, too short, it didn't suit him. It looked like someone had cut it with bad scissors. It was dark. He didn't like it. It was wrong.

The boy looked sad, but also curious. Maybe dancing would make him happy? Maybe he was sad because of the bad haircut. He could dance about it! Dancing was how you told others what you were feeling when you were too scared or nervous to speak.

"Dance with me!" Yuuri cried, holding out his hand to the boy.

The boy paused, confusion growing, so Yuuri skipped over to him and pulled his hand. "Dance," he said again, doing a twirl. The boy seemed to understand and did a twirl of his own.

Yuuri laughed, smiling at the boy and began to dance again, happy that he'd made a new friend, happy to dance.

What did that boy look like now, he couldn't see his face, he couldn't understand. Why was it dark? He was dancing, but he couldn't see the boy, it was fading, fading.

And then the boy laughed, and Yuuri woke up.

 

The sun still hung low as Yuuri came back to the world of consciousness, rubbing his head, remembering his dream.

He'd forgotten that day, the day Minako came home. Had been gone nearly a year but she came to visit just once.

He wondered why he remembered it now, and who the dark haired boy with the bad haircut had been. He'd never seen him again, couldn't even remember his face anymore.

He stretched and noted the time. He'd slept a few minutes later than the day before, and he felt a bit groggier. He hoped this could be taken as a sign the he'd soon repair his sleep schedule. Waking this early made training easy, but he needed to be able to stay awake past 9pm if he was going to manage to study.

After dinner the night before, he and his friends had hung out together in the Ravenclaw common room. It had been fascinating to see that there was no password, but rather a statue that would ask them a riddle. Viktor had excitedly answered the question, earning him respectful looks from the nearby Ravenclaws as the door slid open.

Yuuri and his friends had spent much of the night sharing their contact info, setting up group chats and taking pictures together. Yuuri had sat with Imara and Clara for a while looking at pictures of the newly born unicorn they'd assisted Hagrid in birthing that morning. Leo had shared some of his playlists and original mixes with the group, as well as hesitantly showing them some of his original compositions. Ari, Charlie and Jo talked about the different Professors, and what the others could expect from their lessons, while Seung-Gil carefully brought out his brushes and began writing various words in his beautiful script. Yuuri thought moving the brush on the paper might have the same calming effect on the Korean as skating had on Yuuri.

The night had ended with the group agreeing to meet just after lunch to head down to Hogsmeade together, and Viktor telling Yuuri to message him in the morning when he was ready to come to his room.

Yuuri couldn’t help but admit his excitement at the opportunity to hang out with his idol who was quickly becoming his friend. But first, he had some calls to make to his old friends.

He quickly changed, waved goodbye to a sleepy Poster Viktor, and headed out to the lake, slipping ear buds in his ears and dialing Minako as he began his jog. The phone only rang for a second before she answered.

“Yuuri!” He could practically see her doing her signature twirl in his mind.

“Ohayou, Minako-sensei.” He greeted his longtime teacher.

“So how is it? You having fun?”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as he told her about all his friends, the skating club, and even how the different houses were letting guests visit their common rooms. It was after he gleefully told her about Viktor standing on the bench and declaring he was going to bring Yuuri to his room that Minako, snickering, commented, “Funny how you happened to make a friend with the same name as your idol.”

“Uh yeah, about that. I need your help.”

“Hmm?”

“Viktor is Viktor Nikiforov. Viktor’s a wizard.”

She was quiet for a minute, “You’re kidding…he’s at Hogwarts?”

“Yeah, and I know it’s not some weird fake or twin cause I saw him do his Quad Flip. It’s even more beautiful up close.”

Minako snorted, “You’ve got it bad, Yuuri.” He didn’t disagree. “But what did you need from me?”

“I’m just worried that eventually Celestino is going to spot Viktor or Mila in the background when I video chat with him. I can’t exactly ask them not to practice when I’m on the phone. There’s no reason the Russians would be in Japan.”

“Hmm, good point. Guess I’ll need to do some memory charms on him and just say you’re in Europe at a Performing Arts school where a lot of Skaters go.”

“You could say Dancers come here too. Michele Crispino’s sister Sara is here, she’s a dancer. There’s another guy here, Seung-gil Lee, he’s a Calligrapher.”

“Yeah, school for the arts. Special scholarships for advanced students, you sent in a video of your skating and that’s how you got in. It’s funded by some big time donors so they have a private plane they use to get students out to their competitions and practice sessions.”

“Viktor and Mila are only going to Russia on weekends, so that will work.”

“Do you know what they told their coach?”

“No…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out and make sure our story lines up. So, what’s he like?”

She didn’t need to say who. “Amazing. He’s way more complicated than he seems from watching him at Press Conferences and stuff. But he’s really nice and cute, kind of clingy, but that’s fine.”

“Well just make sure you use protection.”

“MINAKO!”

He could hear her cackling in the background. “Well, I’ve heard that you’re planning to call Phichit and the others about now. I’ll set to work on your story for Celestino. Give him a call tomorrow.”

“Ok, I will. Thanks again for all your help Minako. This place is incredible, and not just because Viktor’s here.”

“I knew you’d love it, kiddo. Now make sure you study hard, and give me a call next weekend to tell me all about it. Bye Yuuri.”

“Bye Minako.”

He hung-up the call, quickly dialed Phichit, and nearly dropped the phone when a massive shout came out almost instantly, “YUURI!”

Yuuri yelped.

“Whoops,” Phichit laughed, “Sorry Yuuri. Everyone’s here, Yuuko, Nishigori, Mari, your parents. We were about to go to the rink, but figured we’d hang out here for a little while and see if you called.”

They spent the next several minutes passing the phone around, and Yuuri told them about his time at school so far, which consisted of mostly assuring them he was making friends and telling them about the skating club. When the phone passed around to Yuuko, his voice grew dark.

“Yuuko, how could you? You posted that video of me!”

She squeaked. “I’m sorry Yuuri! I couldn’t help it! It was so great! And people love it; they’re excited to see you start skating professionally!”

He grumbled at her a bit longer before forgiving her. Viktor wouldn’t have known him without that video after all so it was impossible to be too mad.

Finally the phone passed back to Phichit and he whispered, “So any developments with You-Know-Who?”

Yuuri laughed, “I’m going to his room after this run.”

Phichit squealed, “Text me deets later, ok?”

“I will, thanks Phichit. By the way, Minako’s going to be changing our story a bit since he’s here, so just let my family know.”

“Sure thing. But I think you owe me a selfie with You-Know-Who.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh, “Give me a second.” He quickly tapped on his phone selecting the best picture he took with Viktor the night before which may or may not be his new phone background. He heard Phichit gasp when he saw it, his voice coming in an octave higher, “Oh my God Yuuri it’s really him!”

“You didn’t believe me?”

“I did but seeing it is just a whole other level you know? You look really cute by the way.”

“Thank goodness.”

Phichit giggled, “Well, I’d better let you get to your date.”

“Phichit, it’s not…”

“Sure it isn’t. Just have fun ok?”

Yuuri smiled, “I will, bye Phichit.”

Yuuri made another lap, picking up the pace as he went. By the time he finished his breaths were coming in heavy pants. He headed back up into the castle, and raced up the stairs. One quick shower and change later, he was back downstairs and slipping into the Great Hall to grab some breakfast before he messaged Viktor.

“Hey Yuuri,” Otabek was passing just as he came in. Yuuri greeted the teen as he quickly grabbed an apple and two slices of toast and jam. “You’re going to our Common room in a bit, right?” Yuuri nodded.

“Want me to let you in?”

“You don’t mind?”

“Course not, come on.”

They made their way down the hall, Yuuri munching on his toast as they went, to a set of stairs just like those leading to Dungeon #6.

“We went running this morning, but he’s working on something in his room now. I’d like to say the two of us have time zones as an excuse for being up so early, but I think it’s just habit at this point.”

“Where did you go running?” Yuuri asked curiously.

“We sort of follow the forest line around the grounds. We like to stay out of sight, old habits I guess. I’m guessing you go running too, you could join us sometime.”

“Thanks, I’ve been circling the lake and using the time to talk to my family on the phone. I’ll probably step it up a notch once my sleep gets a bit more settled. Time zones are definitely a factor for me still,” he yawned a bit as if to emphasize the point.

Otabek smiled. They were approaching a dead end and Yuuri wondered where they were going, for a split second he wondered if this had been some sort of trick. He subconsciously gripped his wand in his pocket.

“Cover your ears for a second,” Otabek asked.

Still a bit unsure Yuuri did as he was asked. Otabek turned towards the wall and mumbled out something Yuuri couldn’t hear. Suddenly a doorway appeared out of nowhere. Grinning, he lowered his hands and followed Otabek into the Common Room.

Yuuri couldn’t help but gape at the room they entered. It was a bit dark, with a weird green lighting filtering in through the windows where a school of fish happened to be swimming past. “We’re in the lake?”

Otabek nodded, “I saw the giant squid out there this morning. What’s Gryffindor’s view like?”

“We’re up in one of the towers so we can see the Quidditch pitch and the grounds pretty well.”

The room was mostly deserted; the few people simply nodded at Otabek and paid Yuuri no mind. “The ones who really hate letting others in are boycotting the common room right now,” Otabek muttered. He shrugged, “Seems like they’re just punishing themselves.

Otabek led him down a hall before pointing to a door, “This is my room,” He opened it and let Yuuri peak in. It was much the same as his room only with green hangings instead of red. It looked like several of Otabek’s roommates were asleep so they quietly shut the door and moved on to the next door.

“This one’s Viktor’s, you’ll understand why he’s got his own room once you go in. Hopefully next term they’ll just let him in with us. Have fun, I’ll see you at lunch.”

“You’re not staying?”

“Na, I want to play some Quidditch. Jo’s meeting me on the pitch with some other people so we can mess around a bit. There are no official trials for the teams till next week so it’s not problem practicing with other houses.”

Yuuri nodded and waved as Otabek headed back out of the hall. Taking a breath Yuuri knocked softly on the door and heard a small noise behind it which he took for permission to enter. He opened the door and looked inside.

Suddenly there was a loud bark and a flurry of fur flying towards him, which Yuuri only briefly had time to register as an overgrown poodle leaping directly at him.

“Vicchan!” he reflexively called out before he went flying backwards as 70lbs of fluff barreled into his chest knocking him to the ground. His face was instantly lathered in kisses and Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re much bigger than Vicchan.”

“Yuuri?” Yuuri could hear Viktor’s hesitant voice from inside the room. “Yuuri! Oh no, Makka, no!”

Yuuri couldn’t help but giggle as the poodle continued to shower him with love, “It’s ok Viktor!” Yuuri pet the dog’s head, who accepted the affection and got off him, letting him stand up. Viktor quickly scuttled forward to herd the dog back into his room.

“I’m so sorry, Makkachin is always affectionate, but he’s never done that before!”

Yuuri was still laughing, “It’s really ok. I don’t mind at all. In fact, I love it. I was really missing my dog so this is great! I see now why you have your own room though.”

Viktor smiled before motioning to the bed, as he hopped back onto of the coverlet himself. “What’s your dog’s name?”

“Vicchan,” Yuuri saw no need to explain that Vicchan was actually a nickname for Viktor.

Yuuri settled onto Viktor’s bed, and looked around the room. Makkachin followed him up onto the plush covers, laying his head on Yuuri’s lap. The bed was bigger than his, and there was a large fireplace at one end of the room, currently unlit. The wardrobe in the corner was much the same, as was the nightstand, there were however drapes over the windows rather than the curtains around the bed. It wasn’t large, but it was cozy.

Viktor smiled at him, “I’ve never seen Makka so instantly taken with someone.” Yuuri grinned and scratched the dog behind the ears. “My dad’s always watched him for me, so when dad went ballistic I had to get Makka out. That took a while, and some blasting as you know. But then we had to figure out what to do with him. Yakov might have taken him in, but he travels all the time. Angelina offered to look after him but,” he sighed, “after everything, I just wasn’t willing to let him out of my sight.”

“Angelina had to spend most of the afternoon getting permission for me to bring him while Makka and I skated at the rink. I was kind of beside myself with worry, if I’m being honest, but in the end, I got permission and got to spend the day skating, so it wasn’t so bad all things considered.”

“I’m glad you got to bring him, though I’m sad you’re not a Gryffindor now. I want him to come sleep in my bed.”

“You can come over here whenever you’d like. As you can see there’s plenty of room on this bed. Professor Slughorn told me when he was prepping my room he put a standard bed in here and Makka instantly claimed it, so he made it bigger so there’d be room for me too.” Viktor chuckled a bit before picking up a notepad that was sitting on the nightstand.

“What are you doing?” Yuuri asked. He noticed quiet instrumental music playing from a small speaker on the nightstand, which seemed to double as a docking and charging station for Viktor’s phone. Viktor was currently scribbling in an ordinary notebook.

Viktor held up a finger as he finished scribbling something before turning towards Yuuri, “Planning my programs and theme a bit more. I have the basics of it all down already of course, but I need different variations of my programs, and I want to be better able to talk about my inspiration.”

“Is this your music?”

“Hmm,” he paused listening to the music for a moment, “no, this one’s not one of them. I made this playlist of all the options I was considering during the summer; all the songs in it fit the mood. My theme is much more mature and serious than my programs have ever been.” He tapped his phone screen a bit before a new song began to play. “This is my short program.”

Yuuri sat and listened to music. It was beautiful, with moments of glee. He could imagine Viktor dancing to it, but there was a deep tone that kept bothering him. The longer it played, the more it hurt. As the song came to an end, Yuuri wanted to curl up on himself it was so mournful.

“It’s about my childhood, and about magic in some ways. This skate is about taking something wonderful and having it destroyed, and turned to something that only brings sadness. It’s about the chaos and agony as something you love is torn apart within you. My rink mate Georgi is convinced I got dumped by a girlfriend because of this.”

“Were you?”

Viktor smiled sadly, “No. No dumping, no girlfriends, just me.” He hit his phone’s screen again and a second song played; Viktor seemed to become almost lost in the music, lost in his thoughts. “I’m Viktor Nikiforov, I’m supposed to be happy and on top of the world, but the real me…” he broke off, letting the music speak for him.

As the music played, Yuuri felt his heart grow warmer. In some ways it was just as sad, but there was something there, a lightness that made him smile. “This program is about coming out of the darkness and finding hope.”

Yuuri closed his eyes and just let the music take him. It was beautiful.

“My theme is aurora,” Viktor whispered.

“The northern lights?” Yuuri questioned, peering up at Viktor.

 “There’s another meaning to that word; it can also mean dawn. My short program is the night; my free skate is the morning. Combined they tell a story about innocence being destroyed, and then rising from that despair to find hope through love. In some ways it’s about learning to trust another person with your soul after you’ve been betrayed.

 “This is a huge risk. The songs sound a lot alike, and they are by the same composer, even the themes are similar. It’ll really be up to me to sell their differences with my performance. Some people will say this it’s lazy, but I want to highlight my own ability to tell the story with my body. I think if I’m successful the judges will appreciate it. I’d actually love to see how you interpret them sometime; I think it might give me some insights.”

“I’d love to.”

They listened to the sad music in silence; Yuuri closed his eyes, envisioning how he would skate to this music. He could related so keenly to Viktor’s short program; and when it came to his free, well, it was such a similar story to his own Free Skate, whether Viktor knew it or not.

“Sorry I’m being such a downer. Friday was really hard, and then when Guang Hong mentioned Apparition yesterday I just kind of lost it for a minute. I’ll be back to myself soon.”

“It’s ok, really.” Yuuri looked at Viktor closely, making sure he was paying attention. “I’ve been watching you for years; you always seemed so perfect, so unattainable. You’re always happy, always successful and brilliant. Seeing this side of you, it makes you seem so human. I think your fans will love it; I personally can’t wait to see you skate such an honest program at the Grand Prix.”

Viktor blinked, whispering, “You keep surprising me Yuuri.”

Yuuri blushed but didn’t look away. Yuuri knew this place Viktor was in, what he needed now were friends who accepted him for who he was. Yuuri could do that, a part of him desperately wanted Viktor to accept him and all his flaws too. It was only fair that he give Viktor the same in return.

After a short but not uncomfortable silence, Viktor began showing him his plotted routines, how he planned for all sorts of circumstances, including being tired early on in the program, missing jumps, or even for when he just felt really good. There was also one with a Russian heading which he explained roughly translated to “Tough as Balls” and included 5 different Quads, two of which he couldn’t even pull off yet.

 “I’ve dedicated each of these programs to someone.”

“Who?” Yuuri asked curiously.

Viktor grinned, “I’ll tell you after I win the Grand Prix.”

“Cheapskate.” Yuuri whispered in Japanese.

“What does that mean?”

Yuuri stuck out his tongue.

“Yuuri!”

The rest of the morning passed in light conversation. Yuuri shared his plan to find some Muggle friendly sweets to send his friends, and Viktor made a note to do the same.

“Do you think Makkachin can come to Hogsmeade with us?” Yuuri idly questioned.

Viktor sighed, “I’m under strict orders not to flaunt the fact that I have my dog here, at least not for a while.” He pointed to the wall, “There’s a panel over there, and a House Elf comes to take him for walks and stuff. If I ask, she’ll meet me down on the grounds and I can walk him on my own, but I’m not allowed to let him into the castle…yet.”

“You make it sound like he’ll eventually be coming to classes with you.”

Viktor grinned, “That’s my goal.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as he ruffled Makkachin’s ears. “I used to take Vicchan to the ice rink with me. He’s a poodle like Makkachin, only a bit smaller.”

“Really? I want to see! Do you have any pictures?”

Yuuri laughed, “Do you know any pet owner who doesn’t have a thousand pictures of their pet on their phone?”

“Fair point.” Viktor grinned and leaned over as Yuuri scrolled through his phone, finding the images. Finally locating a set of good ones he showed them to Viktor who cooed at the cuteness, lamenting that Yuuri hadn’t brought his dog with him.

Yuuri couldn’t help but giggle, “Well maybe you’ll convince them to allow dogs next year. They let us bring cats, don’t see why dogs shouldn’t be allowed.”

Viktor nodded vigorously and returned to scribbling on the page of his notebook.

Yuuri watched closely as he made notes in a mixture of English and Cyrillic. “How do you spell your name in Russian?” Yuuri asked curiously. Viktor quickly scribbled the letters. “You signed my poster in English.”

Viktor smiled, “Well I did want you to be able to read my name.”

“As if I didn’t already know it.”

Viktor winked.

When lunch rolled around they gave a long goodbye to Makkachin, who looked put out to be left behind. Yuuri promised the pup he’d visit again before he and Viktor headed off to the Great Hall.

Viktor wore navy blue wool coat with oblong buttons that Yuuri thought looked beautiful and warm. He felt under dressed next to the teen. There were parts of Viktor that seemed so relatable, but then he just surprised you. How did you define someone like him?

They entered the Great Hall. It was a light lunch of sandwiches and soup, so they just grabbed a few of the sandwiches and wrapped them up, shoving them in their pockets, neither feeling like bothering with deciding which table to sit at, nor willing to separate. They made their way back into the entry and sat at the bottom of the stairs and began eating their sandwiches. Yuuri showed Viktor some more pictures of his friends, Vicchan, Yutopia and the Ice Castle. He even had a few of Mahoutokoro so he showed the Russian the jade covered School.

Soon their friends began filtering in from the various common rooms and the Great Hall. A few others grabbed sandwiches to carry with them. Before long people began moving from the Great Hall and out the doors in earnest, and their group joined the now massive queue of people all making their way for a set of gates on the edge of the grounds.

Yuuri could only hope the crowd thinned out once they left the grounds. As it was he’d given up any pretense of listening to his friends’ conversation; the noise and mass of people completely overwhelming his senses.

But it didn’t thin out. People were so excited to go to the village that everyone seemed to be moving in one massive pack all the way down the narrow path. Once it opened up into the village, people began to disperse, but the reprieve only lasted a minute, as every shop was packed with people.

Yuuri managed to squeeze his way into the candy shop; making straight for a section labeled “Muggle Safe Treats” and secured a few bags of sweets for his friends, not even bothering to see what they were.

He skipped the joke shop all together, wishing he could just sit down somewhere quiet. But soon they were wandering the still crowded streets, the others pointing out buildings and interesting sights, all of it passing over Yuuri’s head completely.

By the time their group reached The Three Broomsticks bar, Yuuri had reached his limit. His chest felt tight as they opened the door to the bar. It was packed tight, with barely anywhere to stand in the entry, let alone place to sit. It was just too much, he quickly backed out of the door before any of the others noticed, gulping the fresh air for a second before he bumped into someone.

“Sor-“ it was Viktor.

“Yuuri, are you ok?” he looked closely; observing Yuuri’s uneven breathes and wide eyes. “Come here.”

He pulled Yuuri away from the door to a small bench several steps away and helped Yuuri sit, encouraging him to lean over to catch his breath. “Are you ok to wait here for just a minute, Yuuri?”

Yuuri nodded, shakily inhaling the air, tears prickly at his eyes in embarrassment. He really hadn’t wanted Viktor to see him like this.

Viktor quickly made his way into the bar. Yuuri was sure he’d probably just send one of the girls to come help him and keep him company; he idly thought about just going back to the castle alone to avoid the embarrassment and the fuss.

But before he could even move, Viktor returned, shoving something into his pocket and reaching for Yuuri’s hand. “Ready to go back?” he asked.

A little stunned, Yuuri nodded, and carefully took hold of Viktor’s hand. Viktor pulled and soon Yuuri was on his feet. Viktor let go of his hand, but replaced it by wrapping his arm around Yuuri’s shoulders. Yuuri leaned his face against Viktor and closed his eyes, feeling Viktor carefully direct him through the streets.

By the time he opened his eyes again they were on the path back to the castle, and Yuuri felt like he could breathe again.

“You didn’t have to do all this…” Yuuri whispered.

“Of course I did. We’re friends Yuuri. You stood up for me last night, what kind of person would I be if I didn’t help you today? Besides, I like being with you, it’s relaxing. Leaving a bit early to spend time alone with you sounds perfect to me.”

Yuuri blushed, “Do you think we could go skating later?”

Viktor chuckled, “Is that how you calm yourself down?” Yuuri nodded. “Alright then, but we’re going to your room first.” He pulled two bottles out of his pocket, “I got us some Butter Beers.”

Yuuri smiled, “Thanks that sounds great. Maybe we could sneak Makkachin down to the rink.”

Viktor grinned, “I can ask the house elf. I’m sure she knows a way.” They were quiet for a minute before Viktor spoke again, “Does that kind of thing happen a lot.”

Yuuri shrugged, “Mostly in competitions, but sometimes I get overwhelmed in busy situations like today.”

Viktor nodded, “Alright then. Next time we come to Hogsmeade you and I will stay back from the crowd, get our Butter Beers to go, and if you want anything from inside a crowded shop I’ll grab it for you.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, Yuuri, I do. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends for help when you’re getting overwhelmed. If you’re not having any fun, then what’s the point of being with your friends? You’d want me to be comfortable in a situation too, right?”

Yuuri nodded.

“All of us feel the same way about you, Yuuri. Trust me.”

“You seem like you really knew what to do in that situation.” Yuuri wondered aloud.

“Of course, I’ve seen it happen dozens of times at competitions. It’s happened to me before too. Yakov has a sports psychologist who comes around every few weeks and meets with each of us, so Mila and I know lots of tricks for controlling panic attacks.”

Yuuri started at him, “You see a therapist?”

Viktor smiled, “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You should ask Celestino to get you one too. It’s really nice to have a place to just talk without having to worry about anything else.”

Yuuri was a bit stunned. He’d always seen Viktor as the perfect skater, the ideal; but he wasn’t perfect, he was human, and he didn’t care if Yuuri was weak. Yuuri ducked his head, “How are you even real?” he muttered.

Viktor laughed, “I’m too good to be true, yes? So perfectly broken that I’m perfect.” He ducked his head so his eyes were focused on Yuuri, “Just like you.”

Yuuri gulped.

“Now let’s get a move on, I want to see how many posters of me you have in your room.”

Yuuri felt exceptionally glad this was his Hogwarts room and not his room at home. He grinned to himself, suddenly feeling a bit giddy, “You’ll only get to see my room if you can keep up!” and took off running.

Viktor hesitated a second before sprinting after him, “Yuuri!”

Yuuri laughed and kept going, “Race you Viktor!”

They ran down the path at a breakneck speed, laughing as they went. Viktor would occasionally take the lead on the flats, but Yuuri dominated on the hills. They reached the castle doors and slowed only a second to make sure they didn’t collide with anyone as they entered the doors, before racing up the stairs. They were neck and neck, but then Viktor hit a trick stair, yelped and fell behind. Yuuri thought about stopping but when he looked back Viktor was already catching up. Yuuri turned down the corridor to Gryffindor tower and poured on the speed, feeling Viktor right at his back doing that same until they reached the end of the corridor where the fat lady sat, eyes wide as the boys came barreling towards her.

“Now really,” She chided as the two skidded to a halt in front of her, laughing.

“I kept up,” Viktor wheezed, “now you have to let me in.” He gulped for air, “How the heck do you get your stamina?”

“I run sprints on a beach and skate for upwards of 6 hours a day.”

“Jesus Yuuri, you’re a monster!”

Yuuri grinned and placed his hands over Viktor’s ears before whispering to the fat lady, who looked extremely put out at this point, “Triple Salchow.”

She swung open and Yuuri playfully pulled Viktor in through the portrait hole.

They took their time, slowly working their way up the staircase until finally arriving at Yuuri’s room. There were hooks by the door for jackets, and they paused at the entry to hang them up and kick off their shoes. Viktor pulled out the two butter beers and handed them to Yuuri.

Yuuri led him to his bed and set the Butter Beers on the nightstand before flopping onto the mattress, still a bit winded by the run. Viktor plopped beside him before looking around and tugging on the curtains curiously.

“This is nice. I thought sharing a room would mean having no privacy but these curtains really help with that.” He tugged the curtains, plunging them into darkness.

After all the noise of the day, the sensory deprivation felt wonderful. Yuuri felt himself instantly relax, that is until he felt Viktor grip his hand.

“This is nice, isn’t it?” He whispered.

Yuuri wasn’t sure how to answer, there were an awful lot of confusing thoughts racing around his mind. Viktor squeezed his hand before letting go. “If you’re ever overwhelmed Yuuri, just squeeze my hand. Doesn’t matter what we’re doing, if you need to leave, I’ll come with you. We can come here and just sit in the quiet for a while. Or we can go to my room and you can play with Makka. We can go skating, or for a walk, whatever you want.”

Yuuri felt his heart clench, a hint of tears prickling at the edges of his eyes, “Why are you so nice to me, Viktor?”

Viktor hummed for a moment before answering, “Because I want to be.”

It was so simple. Yuuri couldn’t understand the reasons, but for the moment he didn’t care. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Viktor squeezed his hand quickly again. They laid there in the dark for a few minutes, breaths slowly evening out.

“Just do me one favor, Yuuri.”

“Hmm?”

“Try not to cry in front of me. I’m bad at that. I never know what to do! Do I hug you? Pat your back? Should I just kiss you?”

Yuuri blanched, before snorting, “Do not just go around kissing people who are crying Viktor. You might get them to stop crying, but it’ll only be because they’ll be too busy slapping you.”

Viktor laughed, “Ok, kissing only with permission, got it.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh with him. He didn’t know if it’d been Viktor’s intent, but he felt so much better. He slowly sat up and carefully pulled back the curtains.

They blinked in the light for a minute before Viktor smiled and began looking around the room, eyes roving until finally settling just behind Yuuri’s head.

“Yuuri, is that the poster I signed for you?”

Yuuri grimaced, he’d momentarily forgotten all about it. Wait, Viktor was here looking at Poster Viktor! His head snapped up.

Viktor’s had his finger to his lips, and he seemed to be thinking hard. Poster Viktor for his part was standing stone still in his skating pose.

“I’m pretty sure my left arm is up in this poster, not my right.”

Poster Viktor gasped and jumped, causing Viktor to jump. “He moves! I move!” Viktor was gaping, “This poster definitely wasn’t moving when I signed it! What’s going on?” He turned to Yuuri.

“Um, the pen you used, it’s supposed to make Muggle posters wave and stuff. My tutor gave it to me. I had no idea it would do this.” Yuuri motioned to Poster Viktor who had his face buried in his hands, blush clearly evident. “He can do basically anything you can, except talk; he’s been helping me with my program all summer.”

Viktor’s eyes narrowed, but they didn’t seem angry, more just curious. There was an intelligence there that could easily be missed given Viktor’s normally bubbly personality, but it was right on the surface now. He looked at the 2D version of himself, “Could you do the opening of our new Free Skate for me?” he asked politely.

Poster Viktor nodded and took his position on the ice and began to skate a program Yuuri had never seen before. It was strange, so different from anything Yuuri had seen Viktor skate. After about 30 seconds Viktor nodded, “Thought so,” he muttered. Poster Viktor stopped skating and start miming quickly to Viktor, Yuuri had no idea what he was trying to communicate but Viktor seemed to understand, “I think you’re right.”

He turned to Yuuri, “That opening is from my Free Skate that I’m working on for this year. I started working on it last fall, and it looked like that up until after Worlds. I changed it over summer. The version he just did is the pre-Worlds version.”

Yuuri blinked, “So he only knows what you knew up until World’s?”

“More specifically I think he only knows what I was thinking about at moment I was signing your poster.” Poster Viktor nodded, pointing at Yuuri and making the heart shape with his hands. Viktor blushed, “Geez, did you have to tell him that?”

Poster Viktor nodded happily and Viktor sighed, “I had 3 things going through my mind at that time. The first was being excited about winning worlds, second was my Free Skate for next season, and all the emotions behind it; and the third was that I was really happy that you gave me flowers.” His blush intensified.

Poster Viktor started scolding him and Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh, “Seems he doesn’t agree with your take on that last one.”

Viktor scowled, “Couldn’t you at least let me play it cool for a little while?”

Poster Viktor shrugged and made the heart shape again.

Viktor sighed, “He’s basically a snapshot of my soul. Just like a Muggle photo can only capture an instant, the same goes for him, he’s only an instant of who I am. If I had signed this at a different time, he’d be totally different. Actually, he’d probably just wave and stuff if it’d been a different time. My emotions were all over the place at that moment. Part of me was the happiest I’d ever been, and part of me was furious. I was barely keeping my magic under control; it was all I could do not to burst out in that moment. I’m guessing that pen sort of siphons off magic and puts it to the paper. Normally it only has the owner’s magic, but with both of us being wizards…”

“And both of us so excited we could burst?” Yuuri cut in.

Viktor nodded, “We probably gave it a lot more fuel that it was intended to have. He’s the result.”

“So he’s you from that moment.”

“Basically, yes. It’s as fascinating as it is embarrassing. I was entirely smitten with you in that moment, and he’s basically a personification of all those feelings.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but stick on the past tense, “But you aren’t now…” he said softly.

“I didn’t say that,” Viktor whispered quietly. He cleared his throat, “But um, we just met, I mean, we’ve met before, but this is the beginning, really, you know? I kind of want to get to know you before admitting to those…things.”

Yuuri chewed on his lip. He imagined if the tables had been turned how embarrassed he might have been. He’d been totally in love with Viktor for ages, but to have Viktor know that on their first meeting would probably kill him. He nodded, and peaked up at Viktor who was suddenly distracted by Poster Viktor who was miming at him again. A blush crept over Viktor’s cheeks.

“What’s he saying?” Yuuri couldn’t make heads or tails of the gestures.

Viktor coughed, “Um, don’t worry about it. He just really likes you.” Poster Viktor stamped his foot, clearly Viktor had lied, but Yuuri could tell by the blush that he wasn’t trying to be mean. It seemed like Viktor was trying to spare himself some dignity. He could respect that, and then a thought crossed his mind.

“Oh god, I’ve changed in front of him!”

Poster Viktor gave a wicked grin and Viktor glared at him, “I hate you so much right now.”

Poster Viktor stuck out his tongue.

Yuuri laughed and leaned back on his bed when the door opened and a flash of red sprinted through the door as Mila leapt onto his bed, Otabek following closely behind.

“Viktor! I want to go skating. Where’s the rink?”

“How do you not know this Mila?” He teased. She just shrugged. “Would you like to go skating Yuuri?”

Yuuri nodded, “But I wouldn’t want to leave Otabek out.”

“Oh don’t worry about him,” Viktor grinned, “He skates all the time.”

Otabek nodded, joining them on the now crowded bed, forcing Viktor to use Yuuri’s stomach as a pillow. “It’s about the only thing to do up at Durmstrang for most of the year. Viktor wasn’t lying when he said it was cold. We used to play hockey a lot there while Viktor would literally skate circles around us all.”

Yuuri smiled, “Then sure lets go.”

“Yuuri, do you seriously have a poster of Viktor above your bed?” Mila questioned.

“In fairness I had no idea he’d be here.”

“I like it.” Viktor grinned, “I think I should get one of Yuuri for my room.”

“They don’t make posters of me, Viktor.”

“They will after you win Nationals.”

“You’re asking a lot.”

“Then you’d better practice,” Viktor winked.

Viktor and Otabek headed for the Syltherin dungeon to change, while Yuuri promised to wait for Mila in the common room. He quickly changed into his training gear, instructing Poster Viktor to look away as he did and laughing a bit at the way he pouted as he covered his eyes.

To make it up to him, Yuuri did a little twirl before heading down to the common room. He didn’t have to wait long as Mila came running down the stairs seconds later.

“Don’t you need your skates?” she asked.

“There are cubbies downstairs for our skates. They even have passwords on them so it’s secure.”

“Neat!”

Yuuri led the way down to the dungeons, pointing out which way to go for the Slytherin Dungeon as they passed. When they arrived down into the dungeon, he was greeted by the cool silence that was the trademark of perfect, unspoiled ice.

Viktor and Otabek must have just arrived as they were both still gathering their skates. Makkachin was curled up beside the bench, snuggled on an over large cushion that had been left on the floor for him.

“Makka!” Mila called and quickly went over to snuggle the pup, who greeted her happily as the old friend she undoubtedly was. Yuuri smiled and went to the cubby beside Viktor’s to gather his skates, smiling at the silver haired teen as he did.

Otabek, not having skates of his own, was borrowing a pair from the school. The school skates weren’t much different from Yuuri’s own, with self sharpening blades and self-fitting boots. The major difference was that the spell on the boots was multi use. It wasn’t as powerful, so it wouldn’t be as perfect as Yuuri’s fit, but it was perfect for skates that would be causally worn by several people.

The cubbies were also interesting, as they had charms on them to clean and polish the skates, caring for their leather and deodorizing the boots, keeping them in good shape, whether they were a shared pair or someone’s personal skates.

The rink itself stretched wide across the opening of the room, with its far wall dotted with tall windows that looked out onto the lake and castle grounds. The to the left of the door was an area containing not only the skate cubbies, but also an open area, complete with pads, barre and mirrors for stretching and ballet. To the right were a pair of tables with benches where you could rest, or even do some homework if you were inclined. The barrier in this area was extra thick, with a bit of padding, in case you wanted to sit upon it. There was even a hot chocolate dispenser and a stereo with remote.

It was the perfect place to skate, but it was also a great place to relax. Yuuri and Viktor had already made plans to study here whenever possible. It might be a bit chilly, but it was so comfortable and quiet, the chill hardly mattered. Viktor had casually suggested the cuddling could dispel any chill, making Yuuri flush crimson.

Soon they were all laced up and stepping on the pristine ice. Yuuri couldn’t help but release a huge sigh as he began to glide, his eyes falling shut in a moment of pure joy.

“Yuuri,” Viktor’s soft voice whispered beside him. Yuuri slowly opened his eyes and looked over at his new friend. “Do you feel better?”

Yuuri nodded and Viktor smiled kindly, before skating off excitedly, performing a sudden death drop, spinning at incredible speed. Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh with delight seeing the joy in the Russian teen’s skating, pushing off hard, eager to join him where he was.

 

 

EXTRA: Riko Ito

Riko is a half Japanese, half British Pure Blood witch. At least that’s what her family says. Her father’s side is most likely only half-blood, but her mother’s family is one of the oldest Pure Blood wizard families in Japan. She is a distant cousin of Minako Okukawa – Riko’s mother is part of the main family, while Minako is part of a branch family.

Her mother was a famous Quidditch player in Japan, known for her style and grace upon a broom. The family wanted her to marry someone from one of the other pure blood families in Japan, but she fell in love with Riko’s father when they met through circumstances Riko is sure unsure about (more than likely her mother had snuck out for a bit of fun without her family’s knowledge, running into the British man at a bar).

Despite initial resistance, they got married and still visit Japan quite often. Riko has an older brother who has already graduated from Hogwarts and was a fairly skilled Quidditch player for Hufflepuff.

Riko is of medium height, with straight black hair, which she has cut into a shoulder length, messy style, made even more messy by her styling. Although she was raised primarily in England, she is greatly influenced by Japanese culture, and loves Japanese Street Fashion. She would love to dye her hair blue, but Professor McGonagall has informed her in no uncertain terms that such an action would be a violation of school rules. If you look closely, there is a small lock of hair behind her right ear that appears blue in certain lights, but when asked she would deny it.

Riko hopes to someday work at the Ministry, hopefully in the Office of International Cooperation. She speaks Japanese and English. Her best friend is Ari Seif, and they are currently attempting to teach each other their secondary languages.

Riko has a bad habit of believing she isn’t overly smart. This probably comes from being surrounded by people like Jo, Charlie and Ari who are all top students. However, Riko’s grades usually land her as the #2 girl in Gryffindor, and within the top 10 students in her year.

She is widely considered one of the most beautiful girls in the 6th year, with several boys nursing crushes on her; however she has no interest in any of them, preferring to partner with her closest friend in situations like dances. Some say Riko and Ari harbor feelings for each other, but no one can be sure. Riko is excited to have Yuuri at school with her not only because he is Japanese, but also because spending time with him might lessen the rumors surrounding her and Ari.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last line is a intentional reference to the show. Yuuri says that Viktor will always meet him where he is, but in this fic, since they are bother teenagers, and both struggling through a lot of things, it's a give an take. They are BOTH meeting each other where ever the other is, and that's important. This fic is about the give and take of two equals. In the show, Viktor's got baggage, but he's older and has a lot of stuff figured out, whereas Yuuri is really lost. He needs Viktor to come to him.
> 
> This chapter was really long, and next chapter's just as long so it may take me a little bit longer than I'd like to do the full edit. I will say I was getting pretty emotional (in a good way) writing it. I was also cackling, so look forward to that.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading. I'll get you the next chapter as soon as I can, but editing can't really be rushed. Comments inspire me, so please leave them if you would be so kind. Questions are also good, even if I can't answer them now I always write them down and make sure to clarify them for you later. Enjoy!


	18. Without Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter, but honestly one of my favorites. Enjoy! Lots of fun stuff in the notes at the end.

It was early. Very early. Way too early to be awake. And yet Yuuri was.

He had fallen asleep as usual, exhausted from a short, but vigorous practice session; but rather than wake sometime after dawn, or when his alarm went off, he was awake now. If the clock was to be believed it was around 2am, eyes wired open, mind unable to relax enough to fall back asleep.

If he had woken up just an hour early, he could deal with that, but this, this was much more than that. This was the basic equivalent of not sleeping at all.

He tossed and turned, desperate to calm himself and fall back asleep. He missed Vicchan. His beloved poodle’s warm body, steady breathes, and soft fur were the perfect thing to lull him to sleep most nights. If only he could have brought him.

An idea struck him. There was one thing he could do…

Moving before his anxieties could catch up to his mind’s eager quest for sleep; he pulled back his bed curtains, grabbed his phone, slipped on his trainers and exited his room. He was sure he was about to break at least a few rules, but right now he didn’t care. He tapped his screen and raised his phone to his ear as he quietly moved through the deserted common room.

A sleepy voice answered, “Yuuri?”

“I can’t sleep,” Yuuri whispered, voice coming out a bit apologetic. “Can I…”

“Shrivelfig.”

“Pardon?”

“That’s the password.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, “Thank you.” Picking up the pace, Yuuri hung up his phone and quietly jogged down the corridor.

It was a small blessing that he didn’t meet anyone as he passed through the stairs and halls, winding up just a few minutes later in front of the large expanse of blank wall that signaled the entrance to the Slytherin Dungeon.

“Shrivelfig,” he whispered.

The door swung open and carefully, Yuuri slipped into the dormitory. Luck was on his side again as the common room was completely deserted. He nearly sprinted across it, down the hall and grabbed hold of the door, quickly entering the room he’d been in just a few hours before.

Viktor was curled deep inside his blankets, peaking out at the door, a cute, sleepy smile on his face. Makka was beside him, looking a bit confused and sleepy, but no less excited.

“Make room Makka,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri kicked off his trainers as Makka stood and moved to the bottom of the bed. Yuuri climbed under the covers, feeling Viktor’s arms wrap around his waist and pulled him towards the center of the bed. As soon as Yuuri had settled, Makka moved back to lay on Yuuri’s other side. It was exceptionally comfortable wrapped between the soft poodle and silver haired teen.

Viktor’s smell was all around him, and his breath was soft against his shoulder.

“Good night Viktor,” he whispered, snuggling down a little deeper into the covers, fingers curling into Makka’s fur.

Viktor whispered something in Russian which Yuuri took to be ‘Good night,’ and slowly closed his eyes, letting the warmth pull him into a deep and comfortable sleep.

 

Yuuri woke much later, briefly forgetting where he was. “Vicchan,” he whispered as he snuggled against the soft poodle.

He felt something around his waist, snuggling against his back.

Oh right, not Vicchan. At least, not _that_ Vicchan.

He carefully rolled until he was facing Viktor. His face was so relaxed and at peace. Yuuri couldn’t help but stare. This was all kinds of dreams come true for him, and his imagination had nothing on reality.

Viktor’s hair was fanning out across the pillow, with a few strands falling along his face. He appeared almost childlike, like the boy Yuuri sometimes thought him to be, but the most surprisingly thing to Yuuri was the way Viktor’s arm was still around him, having not moved since they’d fallen asleep.

Suddenly Viktor was snuggling closer to him, his face burying into Yuuri’s chest. “Yuuri…”

For a moment Yuuri thought Viktor had woken, but Viktor continued to mutter in soft Russian against his chest.

“My Yuuri…”

Yuuri couldn’t help the flush that crept over his cheeks.

A gentle beeping from under the covers sounded, shaking Yuuri from his quiet Vigil. He must have fallen asleep with his phone in his pocket, and now his alarm was going off, signaling that it was time for his morning run.

He carefully tried to move to silence the phone, but couldn’t seem to get his arms down to it with the Russian and poodle both curled tight against him.

Then he felt a hand, patting his leg and reaching into his pocket. A voice in his head was screaming to all of his senses to stay calm as Viktor slowly extracted the phone and brought it up to his face, silencing the alarm.

He deposited the phone on the pillow before sleepily glancing up at Yuuri. He didn’t seem to be fully aware yet as he slowly blinked and snuggled back against Yuuri.

“This is a nice dream,” he whispered.

“Uh, not a dream,” Yuuri replied.

He felt Viktor stiffened ever so slightly; his grip on Yuuri tightening a bit as he slowly peered up. ‘Idiot,’ Yuuri thought, ‘Should have kept quiet. Who cares about work-outs and classes when Viktor Nikiforov thinks you’re a dream. Just stay in bed all day and enjoy it.’

But he really wanted to be able to come back here if he ever couldn’t sleep again. It had been the best sleep of his life, and if he was honest with himself, he wanted to come back here for more than just sleep.

“Yuuri,” Viktor softly called, “What are you doing here?”

Oh, Viktor didn’t remember, he must have been asleep when Yuuri called. A rush of embarrassment washed over him and he began struggling to extract himself from the covers, “I’m sorry, I’ll leave.”

Viktor’s arms clamped down on him, “Stay.”

Yuuri stared into Viktor’s icy blue eyes. There was something burning deep within their depths.

“I couldn’t sleep, and I was remembering how snuggling with Vicchan always helped, and then I remembered Makka, so I called you. You gave me the password.”

Viktor pouted, “Ah, so you came for Makka and not for me. I’m hurt Yuuri.”

Yuuri stammered, “Well I came for both...I mean…”

Viktor giggled, “I’m just teasing; this was a wonderful way to wake up,” Viktor whispered again.

Yuuri buried his face in a pillow. Too much! No one teenage boy could ask for this much.

“Would you like to go for a run with me and Makka, Yuuri?”

Yuuri looked up. Viktor was propped up on his arm, smiling at him. God, how did anyone look that perfect. Yuuri really wanted to kiss him.

“Yeah, I usually go running in the morning. I’d like to go with you.”

Viktor smiled, “I’ll let you borrow some of my training clothes so you don’t have to sneak back into your dorm. That way when you go back you can just say you were out running. I don’t mind if people know you were here, but I’m pretty sure you broke some rules getting down here.” He winked.

Yuuri grimaced a bit and nodded, “Thank you again.”

Viktor smiled before getting up and crossing to the wardrobe, pulling out a few pairs of sweat pants, 2 t-shirts, socks and even underwear, handing one of each to Yuuri. “The pants might be a bit long, but we’re about the same size other than that, so the rest should be fine.” He turned his back and began stripping off his sleep shirt.

Yuuri quickly turned before Viktor revealed any more of his skin. The sight of Viktor’s back was likely to play a part in his dreams for weeks to come.

He carefully maneuvered around Makkachin, who was still lying on the bed, though obviously awake and just being lazy about getting up, and hopped off the bed. He decided to change his pants first, as that would be way more embarrassing if Viktor suddenly turned around.

He stripped his sleep pants and underwear quickly and pulled on a pair of comfortably fitting boxer briefs, trying desperately not to think about it too much, before tugging on the sweat pants. Viktor was right; they were a bit too long.

He pulled off his shirt, replacing it with the fresh one Viktor had provided. It was deliciously soft against his skin. Sitting back down on the edge of the bed he changed his socks before carefully folding up the cuffs of the sweat pants. “What should I do with my clothes?”

“I’ll ask Winky to take them back to your room for you.”

“Who?”

“Oh right. She’s the House Elf who looks after Makkachin. Here, you can meet her.” He moved over to the wall and carefully pressed a small panel. There was a pop from the other side of the wall and then a small doorway opened.

“Good Morning Master,” the small elf squeaked up at them.

“Winky,” Viktor spoke kindly, “you know you don’t have to call me master. Please, call me Viktor.” The elf nodded then turned to face Yuuri. “Winky, this is Yuuri. He’s my very good friend. We’re going to go running and I was wondering if you could bring Makka down to run with us?”

“Of course. You have classes today, yes Ma…Viktor?”

“Yes, will you keep Makka company while I’m busy?”

“Of course, Winky likes Makkachin.” Makka looked pleased at this and ambled over to rub against the tiny elf affectionately. Her eyes, while a bit unfocused, seemed delighted by the dog’s affections.

“One more thing, Winky. Yuuri slept over last night, but he’s a Gryffindor. Would you mind taking his things,” Viktor indicated Yuuri’s small pile of sleep clothes, “Back to his room?”

“What have you been getting up to, Master Viktor?” she scowled at him a bit.

“Nothing Winky, I swear!” he pleaded, a small smile on his lips. Yuuri got the impression that Winky liked caring for the teenager, and Viktor like playing along a bit.

With a knowing grin the elf nodded, moving over to the bed and collecting Yuuri’s things, depositing them in a small basket. “I’ll get them back to your room, sir. And leave Master Viktor’s clothes in your hamper when you take them off, I’ll get them back here too.

“Thank you, Winky,” Yuuri smiled at the Elf.

She smiled kindly back, “Come along, Makka.” She headed into the passageway behind the wall, Makkachin following closely behind.

Viktor smiled after them and then turn, “We should get going if we want a good run.”

Yuuri nodded and followed Viktor out of the room.

Their luck seemed to hold as the common room seemed to still be empty. That is until they exited the dormitory and saw Otabek coming in from his own run. The teen simply quirked an eyebrow before greeting them, “Good Morning Viktor, Yuuri.”

“Morning Beks,” Viktor replied cheerfully.

“Morning,” Yuuri whispered.

Otabek passed them before Yuuri buried his face in his hands, his face beet red. Viktor giggled, “Oh don’t worry Yuuri, he probably just thinks we slept together.”

Yuuri’s eyes snapped open, “He does?!”

Viktor laughed, “Not like that. I mean slept, as in sleep, which is what we actually did. What kind of guy do you think I am? I’d at least take you on a proper date first.” He grinned and pushed open the front doors.

Winky was waiting for them from just behind a statue. She smiled and waved, Viktor following her. They rounded a corner and found Makka obediently waiting. “Good boy Makka. You Stayed just like Winky told you!” Viktor cooed.

“Makkachin is a good boy,” Winky agreed. “Winky will take Yuuri’s things to Gryffindor tower and then come back to collect Makkachin.”

“Thank you Winky, see you soon.”

The elf disappeared with a pop and Makka bounded over to Yuuri for attention. After indulging the pup, Viktor smiled, “Shall we?”

They took off at a light jog, bodies moving easily in the cool morning air. Yuuri let Viktor lead, with Makka moving easily alongside them.

Viktor surprised Yuuri by speaking quietly, “When I arrived with Makka they took me down into the kitchens to ask if one of the elves wouldn’t mind walking him and caring for him during the day. As soon as we got down there he sprinted over to Winky and started licking her.”

Viktor got quiet for a moment and then continued, “It wasn’t good, Yuuri. Winky’s addicted to Butter Beer. She was completely drunk when Makka found her. The other elves were apologizing. But then Winky woke up, and I don’t know, she just connected with Makka. She’s been really careful since then, only having a sip of Butter Beer before bed, she says. She’s a lot cleaner now than she was. I hope us being here helps her.”

Yuuri reached forward and squeezed Viktor’s hand, “She seems really happy to take care of you.”

“I think it’s because I’m from an old family, and she can sense that. One of the other elves told me her old master was a teenage boy; I think I remind her of him.” He sighed, “She takes good care of Makka, so I’m happy.”

They continued in silence for a while, before Yuuri, steeling his courage, asked, “Viktor, is it ok if I ask you something personal?” Viktor raised an eyebrown but nodded. “Are you…I mean are you attracted…would you say you’re…”

“Gay?” Viktor asked, cottoning on.

Yuuri stiffly nodded, stomach knotted hard.

“Yeah.” Viktor spoke softly, looking slightly nervous, “Hope that doesn’t bother you.”

Yuuri suddenly realized Viktor might be as worried about this side of him as he was. “It’s fine! I’m bi so it’s totally ok!” he clarified quickly.

Viktor stopped and turned, “You are?”

Yuuri stopped and nodded back. Makkachin was looking up at them curiously.

Viktor bit his lip, “Then it’s ok if I…I mean, I won’t do anything crazy, or too fast, but it’s ok if I…?”

“Yes.” Yuuri didn’t know exactly what Viktor was implying, but frankly, Yuuri would be alright with anything Viktor wanted to do. He’d been nothing but kind to Yuuri, and Yuuri had to admit, he felt safe.

Viktor’s face lit up with a smile, “Ok. I promise, nothing too fast, I just, well, you’ve met my poster. You know how he feels, so if that’s ok, then I just want to be able to do that too.”

“Make heart signs with your hands at me?” Yuuri teased, just a little bit.

Viktor blushed, but surprisingly nodded, “And more. Things he can’t do.”

Yuuri’s heart was beating frantically, his mind was spinning, “Yes, I’d like that, but I want to get to know you more first, before, whatever.”

Viktor nodded, “Me too.” He paused and then held out his hand, “Friends?”

Yuuri grinned, “Yeah, for now.”

Viktor grinned, putting his finger to his lips, “Hmm, what about best friends?”

Yuuri felt his whole body grow warm, “Well, Phichit might get jealous…”

“You’re right, I haven’t earned it yet. I know, come with me to Russia!”

“Huh?”

“This next weekend, come with me to Russia for practice. I know you can’t go every week, but it’s still far enough out that Yakov won’t be mad, and school’s only just begun so McGonagall will say yes if I ask very nicely. Come with me to Russia and see me just being normal, Muggle, me.”

Yuuri blinked, “And then we can be best friends?”

Viktor grinned, “Sure, that’s how it works right? You invite someone over to your house to play and then you’re best friends.”

Yuuri couldn’t help himself as he began to laugh, giggling and clutching his sides, “How old are you Viktor?” Viktor was smiling, but looked a little sheepish. Yuuri sighed. Viktor really hadn’t had many friends. “Yes, I’ll come to Russia Viktor. And we can be best friends, no invitation needed. I think you earned that right after everything you’ve done for me in the last day. Now come on, we need to finish this run and get to breakfast.”

Viktor’s face lit up, mouth going heart shaped in the biggest smile Yuuri had seen since Worlds, “Ok! Maybe we’ll have some classes together today! You’ll sit next to me right?”

Yuuri laughed as they began to run again, “Of course.”

They ran for quite a while before Yuuri heard Viktor say, in a soft voice, “I’ve never had a best friend before.”

Yuuri’s heart clenched and he sped up, hugging Viktor from behind as they ran. It was awkward, and they were forced to break apart quickly to avoid falling, but Yuuri was sure Viktor had understood his meaning.

They finished their run, Viktor dropping Makka off with a waiting Winky, before they both returned to the castle, waving to each other before returning to their dorms to shower and change.

Yuuri entered Gryffindor tower happier than he had been in quite some time.

“Isn’t that Viktor’s shirt?” It was Mila. Yuuri silently cursed, turning to see her staring at him, a total shit-eater grin on her face. “Otabek told me he saw you two coming from the Syltherin Dungeon; I didn’t believe him but…”

Yuuri sighed, “Mila, can we talk about it at breakfast? I really need to shower.”

She pouted but settled in on one of the comfortable armchairs by the unlit fireplace, “Fine. I’ll be waiting. Hurry up.”

 Yuuri grimaced but nodded. He was cutting it a bit close anyways so he sped through his morning routine, before grabbing his book bag and heading back to the common room to collect Mila, who had her legs draped over the arm of the chair as she scrolled through Instagram.

“Ready?” he asked quietly.

Mila nodded and hopped up, following him out of the common room. “Spill.”

Yuuri sighed, “I couldn’t sleep last night, and all I wanted was my dog back home. I was starting to panic a bit, but then I remembered Makkachin, so I called Viktor and he just told me to come over. I had planned on just laying against Makka for a bit to calm down, but I fell asleep. When I woke up, Viktor asked if I wanted to go running with him and gave me a change of clothes.”

Mila glanced at him, “So you fell asleep on the floor?”

“Uh no, Makka sleeps on the bed.”

“With Viktor?”

“Yes…”

Mila had an evil look on her face when she whispered, “So you slept with Viktor?”

“Just slept,” Yuuri whispered back as they entered the Great Hall.

Mila giggled, “I can’t wait to tell Sara.”

“Please don’t,” Yuuri groaned. “He asked me to come with you guys to Russia this weekend.”

Mila looked up, nearly tripping over someone’s bag as the moved to a pair of open seats at the Gryffindor table. “Seriously?”

Because class schedules were being handed out, they needed to sit at their house tables, so Viktor was across the room sitting beside Otabek. They both waved at Yuuri and Mila. Viktor’s heart shaped grin bright upon his face.

“He looks really happy.”

“I agreed to be his best friend.”

Mila snorted, “What are you, 8?”

“I guess he’s never had one,” Yuuri answered quietly.

Mila grew silent, “I’m not surprised.” She paused before continuing, “But you know he wants more than just that, right?”

Yuuri nodded, “We talked, clarified where we stood with all that. We’re taking it slow, Mila. Just friends.”

“But you might become more,” she asked, curiosity burning in her eyes, but something more there.

Yuuri nodded and she smiled. “Good. You two are cute together; both so absurdly smitten with one another.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Yuuri groaned, thinking of Phichit.

“Because it’s obvious. Don’t worry, you’re cute. I’ll be your wingman, Yuuri. Viktor’s got Otabek.” Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh.

Suddenly a great swarm of Owls flew into the hall, with letters and packages being deposited in front of many of the students. At the same time, the 4 Heads of Houses stood and began distributing schedules to the students, avoiding the birds as they went.

A large barn owl landed across from Yuuri where Riko had just sat down. “Nice, mom came through!” she whooped, “You’ll like this Yuuri. Mom sends me snacks from Japan once a month when she visits my obaasan.” She ripped open the package, revealing tons of snacks including Pocky, Soft Matcha Oreos, Strawberry Daifuku and more. Yuuri felt his mouth water and Riko grinned, “We’ll share them. Let me know if there’s anything you want and I’ll have her send it.”

“Thanks, um, can I have an Oreo for later?”

Riko giggled and handed him one of the individually wrapped cookies.

“Ito, Taylor, Babicheva, Katsuki.” Professor Weasely called handing down 4 schedules to Jo who was just coming in. She sat down next to Riko and handed out the schedules.

“Sorry I’m late, Prefect stuff.”

“Problems?” Riko asked.

“Peeves,” Jo cursed, before looking at her schedule with interest.

Before Yuuri even had a chance to look over his schedule he felt someone cling onto him. Without looking he greeted, “Morning Viktor.”

“Make room, Mila,” Otabek grumbled, before sitting next to Mila. Two second years looking a bit nervous scurried aside to make room for the Syltherin boys.

“Rude,” Mila poked at Otabek, who just shrugged.

“Otabek’s cranky this morning,” Viktor whisper as he slid onto the bench besides Yuuri. “Now let’s compare classes!” He set his schedule down in front of Yuuri who lowered his own beside it.

 “First up Double Defense Against the Dark Arts,” Yuuri read.

“Me too!” Viktor grinned.

They set out reviewing the two lists, finding at least one shared class every day. Every time they found one Viktor grew more and more excited.

“Nice,” Jo noted, “Late start on Wednesday. That’ll be useful since Astronomy’s time will vary Tuesday night. Professor Sinistra told me the first lesson is at 10, as listed here, but they could start as late as 2am, depending on what we’re looking at.”

“Ouch,” Yuuri muttered. That was going to be hell on his sleep schedule.

Viktor leaned closer and whispered, “Sleep over in my room after Astronomy, Yuuri. Then Makka can help you sleep.”

Yuuri felt a deep blush spread across his cheeks; he turned to face Viktor and nodded in agreement. Viktor smiled, “At least we’re done early on Fridays. That’ll make getting to practice easier.”

“Well, for you and Mila,” Yuuri countered.

“And you starting next term,” Mila encouraged.

Yuuri fidgeted a bit.

“By the way, Yuuri.” Riko chimed in, “Defense Against the Dark Arts Club meetings will be Thursday nights, after dinner.

“Oh, alright.”

“Defense Against the Dark Arts Club?” Viktor questioned. “Can anyone join?”

“Of course!” Riko smiled. “It’s basically a good club for anyone who wants to practice the practical defensive skills.”

“Really?” Viktor looked excited.

“Why don’t you come with me, Viktor,” Yuuri suggested. “You too Mila.”

Viktor was beaming as he nodded. Yuuri was glad to have invited him seeing how happy it seemed to make him. Mila seemed less sure, but agreed to come check it out.

“What about you, Jo?” Riko asked.

“I’ll try to stop by, but Quidditch and Prefect duties have me pretty busy. The Muggle Cultural Clubs wants my help with a few things too. And of course I want to visit the Skating Club.”

Riko just laughed, “No worries, stop by when you’re free.” She looked towards Otabek to invite him, only to find his head resting on his arms, clearly ignoring the world.

Viktor grinned, “Like I said, he’s grumpy this morning.”

“I’m not grumpy, I’m pissed off,” came a growl from the lump of furry that was Otabek.

The others all stared at him, questioning looks passing between them. Otabek looked gruff, but was generally a kind person.

Jo pulled out her wand and pointed it at Otabek, whispering, “Muffliato.”

Riko nodded, “He shouldn’t be able to hear us, what’s his deal Viktor?”

Viktor looked a bit nervous, glancing at Otabek before he whispered, “He had a girlfriend at Durmstrang, but they were just casual. She only liked him cause of Quidditch, he only liked her because, well honestly I don’t know. Not sure he ever really did like her. He hung out with me more than her. Anyways, he didn’t exactly tell her he was coming here, and apparently she found out last night and sent him a howler this morning. Only he was out running when it arrived in his room. By the time he got back, it was too late. Woke the whole dormitory with her screeches.”

Yuuri was glad he and Viktor were already gone what that happened, what a way to wake-up.

“Anyways,” Viktor continued, “they’re now obviously broken up, and I don’t think he cares that much about the break-up, but the way it was handled, you know?”

Otabek was starting to stir so Jo quickly undid the enchantment before he noticed. “Viktor, do you know anyone who’s cute, blonde, feisty, and likes Pirozhkis?”

Viktor snorted, “Yes, but he’s a guy and he has a foul mouth and serious attitude problem.”

“Done, hook me up.”

Yuuri’s mouth dropped open and Viktor fell against him laughing, “Surely you’re not that hard up.”

Otabek sighed, “You’re right, I’m just pissed right now. Sorry.”

Viktor reached over offering Otabek a fist bump, “It’s alright.”

“That girl is more upset that I made her look bad than the fact that I obviously don’t want to be dating her anymore. She told me if I wanted to break up then I should have told her at the end of last year so she could have staged a dramatic break-up scene in front of the school.”

“That’s awful,” Mila muttered, patting Otabek’s hand. “But why’d you date her in the first place?”

Otabek shrugged, “Don’t even know if you could really call it dating. I think I kissed her once cause she wanted a selfie of me kissing her. She just asked me to be her boyfriend one day and I figured ‘why not?’ Lesson learned, only date people you like.”

Viktor patted the top of his head, “Well done young Padawan, you have learned the first lesson in being a world famous athlete.”

Yuuri sniggered, but Otabek just looked confused, “What’s a Padawan.”

“Oh Lord,” Riko grinned, “I guess we know what the first Muggle Cultural Club Movie Marathon will be.”

The bell signaling the start of the day began to ring, motivating their group to head to class, Riko leading the way, chatting happily to Mila and Jo as they walked. Yuuri forgot sometimes that the 3 girls were roommates.

They arrived at the classroom, and began to file their way inside. The tables were set in long rows, so they all slid into seats alongside each other, Otabek first, with Viktor and Yuuri behind him.  Mila, Riko and Jo coming after.

As they took their seats, Riko leaned over Mila and whispered to Yuuri in Japanese, “I heard you stayed in Viktor’s room last night.” She looked like an extremely pleased cat as she grinned at him.

Yuuri glared at Mila who didn’t look the least bit sorry. “I just couldn’t sleep,” he whispered back in rapid Japanese.

“Suuuuure,” she grinned.

Yuuri rolled his eyes, but stayed silent as Professor Weasley entered the classroom, drawing their attention to the front. He couldn’t help but be excited. Defense Against the Dark Arts had always been a theoretical lesson at Mahoutokoro. Usually if they spoke about battles or situations where one skill would be used over another, it was in a historical context.

But the minute Professor Weasley spoke, Yuuri could tell things were different here.

“When I was at Hogwarts, all I wanted was to become powerful. I wanted to be Minister of Magic someday. I was smart and ambitious. I worked hard and did my best to please my superiors. I thought that was the best way to move ahead quickly, and in a way, I was not wrong. Unfortunately it left me vulnerable to being influenced by the Dark Arts that even my Outstanding NEWT could not prepare me for.

“That will be the goal of this class for the next two years. Not only will you learn advance counter spells and defensive jinxes, but you will also learn to think for yourself and assess situations critically.

“I became the Assistant to the Minister of Magic quickly after graduating here, and watched from up close as Dark Wizards slowly took over the Ministry. I watched and let it happen, ignoring the signs because seeing them would have hurt my chances for promotion. I buried my head in the sand and let my family be criminalized all for the sake of my ambition and pride.”

He looked fierce, angry.

“That is the really power of the Dark Arts. Yes, there are spells that can control, spells that can kill; more spells to cause pain than you could possibly imagine. But the real power is their ability to make friends turn on each other out of self interest.

“In this class you will learn more about yourselves perhaps than you will about the Dark Arts, because you need to know, need to be prepared for the reality that the true darkness lies within our hearts in our contentment to sit by and allow evil to occur around us.”

He paused, sighing, suddenly looking at a portrait on the wall. Yuuri wasn’t sure what the original contents of the portrait were, because Fred had taken over the canvas and was giving his brother a big thumbs up now. Professor Weasley seemed to smile now.

“I believe each of you has the ability within them for greatness, and I can tell you, though I have known some of you only a short while, I’ve already seen a light within each of you which makes me believe that were you in my shoes back then, you would have made the right choices. Don’t prove me wrong.

“You’ll find throughout the rest of your first week here that many of your lessons will focus on non-verbal spells this year. This class is no different. We will be starting this week on non-verbal shielding charms.”

He had them stand, sweeping his wand causing the tables and chair to fly away. He then conjured a slew of balls out of thin air, which looked an awful lot like paintballs. “Prepare to shield yourselves. You may not speak. Focus your minds on the spell and perform it as you normally would, but first, you may now cast the spell once with the verbal incantation as a warm-up.”

There was a chorus of “Protego!” throughout the room as shields burst forth from wands. Yuuri felt his come quite easily, but saw Viktor’s waiver for a moment. He squeezed Viktor’s hand in encouragement, causing the boy to smile, his shield growing a bit stronger.

And thus, the bombardment began. Professor Weasley could strike at any moment with the paintballs pelting from any direction. Yuuri might have mastered the verbal spell, but nonverbal was a different story. In fact the only person having any success was Jo, and she was panting heavily from the effort of blocking just a few of the balls sent her way.

Viktor wasn’t having any luck at all, and Yuuri felt himself wince every time a ball struck him. Mila likewise was covered in paint splotches, and was looking highly frustrated.

Yuuri hated see their looks.

It was then that an idea struck him and he shot his hand into the air, “Excuse me, Professor!”

“Katsuki?” the Professor asked.

“Would it be alright if I shielded Mila and Viktor? I think protecting someone else might help me focus more.”

Professor Weasley smiled in a way that made Yuuri wonder if that had been his intent all along. “Alright Mr. Katsuki. Mr. Nikiforov, Miss Babicheva, are you alright being targets? You should know I won’t hold back.”

They glanced at each other before nodding, moving closer to each other and Yuuri.

Yuuri stared at his Professor, wondering when the assault would begin. There was only the faintest twitch in his cheek and Yuuri knew it was coming.

Within his mind he imagined Viktor’s face when he was hit with the pellets, his embarrassment over his weaker spell. He saw Mila’s frustration and disappointment. Conjuring up all of his strength, he shouted within his mind “PROTEGO!”

The blast of balls from Professor Weasley’s wand was enormous, but the shield, just inches in front of Viktor and Mila’s faces, held strong, paint splattering over it in a great wave. Yuuri struggled to hold on, to ride out the assault. He felt like someone was driving a stake into his head, the force of the pressure was so much.

Finally Professor Weasley dropped his wand and Yuuri slumped to the floor, dropping his shield. He was covered in sweat. Viktor kneeled down and hugged him, pride evident in his eyes.

“Well done Mr. Katsuki. Five points to Gryffindor. Tell the class your thoughts as you did that.”

“I thought about seeing my friends hurt. I didn’t like that.”

Professor Weasley nodded, “For some of you, protecting yourself will be enough, but for others, you may find it easier as you start to protect others. Look within yourselves to find your answer. For homework, practice your nonverbal shields and read the corresponding chapter within your text book. I’d like a 10 inch essay on the benefits of non-verbal defensive skills by then as well. Class dismissed.” And with a wave of his wand all of the paint in the room was cleared up, their robes were wiped clean, and their hair was spotted dry.

Mila suddenly hugged Yuuri, “You were amazing Yuuri!”

Yuuri couldn’t help but blush as the curvy Russian girl snuggled against him, blushing even harder when Viktor joined the hug. Lord help him, he was a 16 year old bi boy who had two extremely cute and snuggly Russians all over him. ‘Pure thoughts Katsuki!’ he chided himself.

Finally Otabek saved him by clearing his throat. Freed from the Russian octopus attack, Yuuri made his way into the hallway with his friends.

“We have to all split up now,” Viktor pouted. “Yuuuuuri, you should have taken Arithmancy!”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ll see you in an hour at lunch Viktor, I promise.”

They all split apart, heading in different directions. It seemed none of his Gryffindor friends were in Muggle studies either, however, upon entering he saw nearly all of his Ravenclaw friends, as well as some of his roommates. He took up a seat beside one of his roommates, and was pleasantly surprised when Seung-gil came over and sat on his other side. The two struck up a conversation about rice, of all things, both lamenting it’s unavailability at breakfast, much to the amusement of Yuuri’s English roommates.

The lesson passed quickly, and while it was a bit more structured then the classes he was used to, it was no less informative. He found himself enjoying the discussions about advanced electronics, with even a bit of a look at computer coding, which most of his classmates from wizarding families found bizarre.

They broke off into groups to create a small sample of code, their goal to make a light turn on that was attached to a simple electrical panel. Sara came over and joined their group, making it two Gryffindors and two Ravenclaws.

It turned out she had a bit of experience working with code and was able to explain it to the others fairly quickly, and soon they had a working light. With 5 points awarded to Ravenclaw for Sara’s efforts, the class was dismissed and their group made their way down to the Great Hall. Not seeing Viktor of Mila yet, Yuuri decided to sit with the Ravenclaws, and encouraged his roommate to do the same. The boy awkwardly agreed, sitting next to Sara with a bit of a blush on his cheeks.

Seung-gil stayed on Yuuri’s side, both him and Sara leaving a space open beside them, with knowing smiles at each other as they awaited the arrival of the two Russians.

Mila arrived first; looking a bit blinded and began explaining her divination lesson with great interest to Sara, who seemed particularly curious about Ferenzi, the Centaur who was teaching the classes.

Yuuri was already snacking on some salad when he felt someone glomp onto him, and a tickle of silver hair on his neck. He smiled and directed Viktor into the seat beside him.

“How was Arithmancy?”

Viktor hesitated a moment, but then smiled and excitedly told him about their lesson. It turned out Yuuri’s roommate was also in Arithmancy, and he discussed the subject at some length with Viktor, while Yuuri contented himself to his meal.

“History of Magic next,” Seung-gil commented, “I’ve heard it’s boring.”

Yuuri’s roommate nodded, “The Professor is literally a ghost.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but think that might be fascinating.

Near the end of the hour Viktor suddenly perked up, “Yuuri, come with me,” he beckoned, pulling Yuuri with him towards the staff table.

“Viktor, what are we…”

“Excuse me, Professor McGonagall, Professor Sprout, Professor Weasley, Professor Slughorn,” Viktor called politely, “I was wondering if I might ask a favor?”

Professor McGonagall looked at him curiously, “What is it Mr. Nikiforov?”

“I was wondering if I might have permission to take Yuuri to Russia to practice with me this weekend. I know Yuuri can’t leave every weekend to practice yet because he needs to focus on his studies for now, but I was hoping to show him our sessions because I think it will really help his skating, and this is really the only weekend I think we can manage. After this weekend my team will be busy preparing for competition, and school will be much busier for Yuuri. There really wouldn’t be another opportunity until summer, and by then it’ll be after Worlds and I really think even a weekend with my coach would really help him. I know I’m asking a lot, but would you please consider it?”

The Professors all looked a bit taken aback, and turned to each other, not speaking, but seeming to be communicating. Finally Professor McGonagall turned, “I’ve heard you both earned points for your Houses this morning. I expect that kind of effort to continue. Mr. Katsuki, do you have permission from your guardians to travel?”

Yuuri stared for a second, Viktor must have earned points while in Arithmancy lesson. Maybe he’d been a bit reluctant to talk about the class at first because he was being shy? He could examine this train of thought later. “I would have to ask, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind, I can have Minako-sensei contact you after I speak to them.”

She nodded, “Alright, you may go on a few conditions. All of your homework must be done on time, and exceptionally well this week. No misbehaving, any rule breaking at all by either of you will lose this privilege. Further, Mr. Katsuki I heard you did well in your Defense the Dark Arts lesson today, and expect you will help Mr. Nikiforov with his own non-verbal Protection Charm?”

“Of course!”

She nodded, “Mr. Nikiforov, do you think you can master the spell by the end of the week?”

Viktor looked a bit nervous but nodded, determination clear in his features.

“Alright then. But know that if either of you fails to complete your homework over the weekend you will both serve detention next week.”

Viktor whooped and Yuuri couldn’t help but grin and bow in thanks up to the smiling Professors.

“One more thing,” Professor McGonagall continued, a small smile flickering on her lips. “There will be two Apparition exams this term, Mr. Nikiforov. The first will be on October the 20th. The examiner usually performs the exam after classes, but has agreed to arrive at lunchtime to begin examinations in the afternoon, perhaps as early as 2’o’clock. I trust you would be interested in taking the exam at that time?”

Viktor’s mouth and eyes were wide; he couldn’t speak, but pulled his jaw shut and nodded furiously, blinking fast.

She smiled, “There will be a second exam just before the end of the term in December, Mr. Katsuki, with practice sessions starting the weekend after this one. I trust you will be interested in participating?” Yuuri nodded, excited, squeezing Viktor’s quivering hand. “I will be offering some additional practice sessions in my office during the week since I know you two and Miss Babicheva are quite busy. I’ll expect hard work from all of you. I’ll send you a note with the time of these practice sessions after the first official practice lesson.”

“Thank you Professor,” Yuuri whispered. Viktor was still unable to speak.

She nodded, smiling kindly, “Now run along, lessons will be starting soon. You don’t want to be late.”

They both nodded. Viktor turned and tugged Yuuri down the aisle, barely pausing to grab his bag. Mila and Sara looked at them curiously, “We’ll tell you later!’ Yuuri called and let Viktor tug him towards their next class.

When they arrived in this History of Magic corridor, they found it to be completely deserted. Viktor led Yuuri into a small, hidden alcove and pulled him into a tight hug in the private space, his face hidden somewhere in Yuuri’s chest. Yuuri could feel Viktor’s shoulders shaking and a small dampness forming on the front of his robes where Viktor was buried.

He couldn’t even find a sliver of bother within himself at the sensation. Smiling gently, he continued to hug his silver-haired friend while rubbing gentle circles along his back.

“That was very nice of her, wasn’t it?” he whispered.

He felt Viktor nod his head, too overcome for words.

After several minutes, when the sounds of students starting to come towards the hall began to filter to them, Viktor finally eased his hold on Yuuri.

It really wasn’t fair how cute he looked after crying. “It’s a good thing I’m better at dealing with crying people than you,” he teased.

Viktor snickered, “Yes, no kissing people without permission, Katsuki.”

Yuuri smiled, “You’ll help me learn to Apparate, won’t you?”

Viktor’s mouth curved, becoming that adorable heart shape as he nodded. Yuuri smiled and dug through his bag, finding a tissue. After a few more minutes, several tissues and deep breathes, they finally headed into their classroom, taking seats near the back together, and prepared for their lesson.

Yuuri squeezed Viktor’s hand under the table reassuringly until the lesson began.

The rumors hadn’t been wrong. It was boring. Dead boring. The interest of a ghost Professor wore off instantly and Yuuri felt like he could barely keep his eyes focused as he scribbled down the notes. He was suddenly glad for the Japanese school system to which this Professor’s style closely matched. After a few minutes Yuuri found he was able to get back into the familiar rhythm and keep his note hand scribbling.

He much preferred Professor’s Weasley’s style of pelting them with paint.

Finally it was over, and Yuuri could hear Viktor mutter, “And I thought Durmstrang’s Professor was bad.”

Yuuri giggled. Their next lesson was separate so they agreed to meet in Dungeon #6 after for some skating practice, Yuuri planning to call his coach while he was there.

He waved goodbye to Viktor and quickly headed for the Dungeons, thinking that next Monday he should bring his training clothes with him since he was so close to the rink, a mere two doors away.

He entered the Potions classroom to find his Gryffindor friends waiting, along with Clara from Hufflepuff. He quickly went over to them and sat at a table with his roommate since the girls had all partnered up.

“Yuuri, what happened at lunch?” Mila leaned over and asked.

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as he spoke in a low voice so that only they could hear, “Professor McGonagall agreed to let me come to practice with you and Viktor this weekend, and then told Viktor there’s going to be an Apparition test on October 20th. Seems like the instructor is arriving early just so Viktor can get it done before he leaves for Skate Canada.”

Mila’s held a hand up to her face, a small misting visible in the corner of her eyes. “He must be so happy…”

Yuuri nodded, “He was. Professor McGonagall says she’ll have extra practice sessions for us since you two have training on the weekends. I get to come along because” he shrugged, “I guess just because I skate too.”

Mila smiled, a weight seeming to fall from her shoulders, “I’m really happy I came here.”

Yuuri nodded, “Me too.”

Class began then, with Professor Slughorn recalling adventures in Potion making, and eventually instructing them to read up on the Potion they’d be brewing for the next lesson; as well as write a short essay on Antidotes, a lesson Yuuri had already had at Mahoutokoro, but it was always good to brush up on since the subject could save your life.

Soon, he and Mila were practically sprinting up to Gryffindor Tower to change before practice, both agreeing to bring a change of clothes next week. “Maybe we should ask for a changing room be added to the rink,” Yuuri pondered as they entered the portrait hole.

“Good idea. See you down there!” Mila called as she sprinted up the stairs to the girl’s dormitories. Yuuri grinned, as he headed up his own set of stairs. He spent a few minutes changing and chatting with Poster Viktor, telling him about the first day a bit, before heading off with a wave. He felt bad leaving him alone sometimes and wished the 2D skater could travel around the portraits in the castle. Maybe he’d take him down to the rink some time.

Mila was just coming down from her dorm as Yuuri emerged, and the two walked down to the rink together, Yuuri telling her his plan to call his coach to check in. Fortunately for him Mila brought her bag and directed her wand to quickly draw up a sign as they walked, sticking it to the door as they entered Dungeon #6:

_Muggle video/phone call in progress. No magic, please!_

As the door close, they both gathered their skates and Yuuri propped up his phone and called Celestino while he strapped the skates on.

“Yuuri!” his coach called out, “How’s Europe? Are your classes good? I heard from Minkao there’s some other skaters there.”

Yuuri nodded and turned the phone as Mila leaned in and waved, greeting Celestino. “Viktor Nikiforov’s here too, he’ll probably be in here shortly. I know it’s late there though so I don’t want to keep you too long.”

“Nonsense. I slept in the morning in preparation for your call. Just prop me up somewhere and I’ll watch your practice.”

The door opened then and Viktor appeared with Makkachin in tow, “Oh, Coach Celestino, hi!”

“Hello Viktor, nice to see you again”

“I’ve gotten permission to take Yuuri to Russia with me and Mila this weekend, I think working with Yakov for a couple of days will help his quads, but I wanted to run it by you also. We still have to ask Yuuri’s parents too, of course.”

Celestino nodded, “Yakov and I have different styles. I think the change will do you a lot of good, Yuuri.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but grin excitedly when he thought of the trip.

“Just be sure to call your parents and tell them,” Celestino reminded. Yuuri nodded. Satisfied Celestino clapped, “Well then, get to work, all of you!”

The skaters laughed, and soon Yuuri had his phone propped up where he could see most of the rink. They all made sure to stretch and soon they were on the ice. Celestino mostly called out instructions for Yuuri, but if he saw the others struggling on something he offered advice.

Otabek and Jo entered the dungeon sometime after 4’o’clock, both curiously interested in the video chat, but both seeming to have enough sense to have removed their robes and stow their wands before entering. Before long both had settled down at one of the tables that happened to be out of sight of the phone and began doing homework.

Yuuri had been a bit worried about Jo seeing Makkachin, but the Prefect had just pet the poodle in greeting and gotten to work, not saying anything.

All in all it was one of Yuuri’s most comfortable practices.

“Yuuri, Viktor.” Celestino called, and the two came over by the phone. “Viktor, I’m noticing some instability with Yuuri’s Salchow, would you mind observing him a bit on it and helping?”

“Of course.”

“And your spins are traveling too much; tighten up your center.”

Viktor grinned, “Thanks Coach.”

Celestino nodded, “I spoke to Yakov the other day, you should have Yuuri run your program, it’ll help you I’m sure.”

Viktor grinned, “Actually I’d already asked him to run it for me.”

“Perfect, then I won’t keep you.” There was a pause, “Mila!” Celestino called. She looked nervous skating over, but was greeted with a smile. “Your skate is looking lovely Mila, keep refining it and you’re sure to do well. I really don’t have any specific notes for you.”

Mila looked a bit shocked, but pleased. Viktor grinned at her and whispered, “Told you so.”

After a few drill suggestions and some well wishes, Celestino hung-up, eager to head to bed.

Yuuri turned to his non-skater friends who had remained mostly silent while they had worked, “Hey guys.”

Jo and Otabek smiled back waving. “Don’t let us bother you,” Jo called, “It’s just nice and quiet in here, great for studying.”

Yuuri grinned, “Couldn’t agree more.”

“Yuuri Yuuri,” Viktor called, “will you run my short program now? I know you don’t know my full choreography, but you can just skate what feels good.”

“Sure, just give me a few minutes to get ready?” Viktor nodded and handed Yuuri his phone, seeming to know without asking that Yuuri would like to spend some time alone with the music. After quickly plugging in the ear buds he turned on the song and slowly skated around the ice, thinking some about the elements Viktor had in the program, but mostly focusing on how it made him feel.

When the song ended he was ready. He handed the phone back to Viktor, who skated over to the stereo to start the music. Yuuri took his place at center ice and took a deep breath. And then the music began.

He skates began to move, and his body swung with childlike innocence. He thought of his own joy upon discovering he was a wizard, surely Viktor must have felt this too. There was such sweetness in that moment.

But then it changed; the world changed, it wasn’t sweet, nor was it kind. It was still wonderful, but then there was chaos, stress, pain.

He was no longer skating one-sidedly with Viktor, now his skates moved in a sort of conversation with Viktor. Viktor had shared some of his past, and now it was up to Yuuri to express that back to him.

‘I see you Viktor,’ he thought as his blades moved through the increasingly mournful music. He imagined Viktor’s happiness, kindness and joy, only to see it pulled away, to see the darkness that lit his eyes when he remembered the pain he’d suffered.

Yuuri hated it. He didn’t like seeing Viktor hurt, didn’t like seeing him in pain. It made him want to cry, it made him want to protect. As he moved into the first set of jumps, he felt as if his soul was screaming to Viktor, like landing these jumps were his own promise not to let anyone hurt him again.

Skating this program as if was about him would never work, but skating at as an outsider, observing someone he loved suffer, that reached him.

He moved into a Death Drop, one that Viktor could do so strongly, letting the emotion and pain rip through him, he spun faster, if a little uncontrolled. Then came the Quad Flip. There was no way he’d land it. He could downgrade it, but he didn’t want to.

He jumped. The turns were there but the landing was way off. It didn’t matter, this wasn’t about perfection, it was about the performance. It was coming to the end, Viktor had a Biellmann Spin into a sit spin at the end, but Yuuri thought a layback would feel better, so he slid into it. The move was usually reserved for ladies, men didn’t usually do it because of the flexibility required (and the stigma), but Yuuri liked it. He always thought it looked like someone being bent by the weight of the world, a perfect fit for this piece.

He moved into that final spin, and as it ended, he allowed himself to fly, sliding across the ice in a position of defeat, as if he’d been tossed aside by his own grief.

His chest heaved. It was exhausting. This wasn’t even his program and the weight of the emotions it carried were too much to bear. How had Viktor carried this burden through life? How could he bring it all back to the surface for this skate time and time again? How strong must he be? Could Yuuri ever be that strong?

He felt arms come around him and he sank into Viktor. “How do you do it, Viktor?”

The arms tightened, “It helps to have friends willing to carry you when you can’t stand,” he whispered. Yuuri looked up into Viktor’s smile. After a deep breath they rose and Viktor began to skate. As he moved, Yuuri began to understand.

“This is why I skate, Yuuri,” Viktor whispered, “because we skate to speak the words we cannot say.” His body moved, telling the sad story, a story that had no words, but never needed them. They were skaters, and some things didn’t need to be said.

“Will you skate with me, Yuuri?”

There was no answer but yes.

 

 

**EXTRA: Makkachin and Vicchan**

Makkachin and Vicchan are both brown Standard Poodles, which can range in size from 45lbs to 70lbs. They are excellent dogs for families as they are fairly hypoallergenic, don’t shed much, athletic, intelligent and loyal. They require daily exercise and companionship, which makes them the perfect companion for a couple of young skaters.

Viktor received his dog a gift from his father as a reward for starting at Durmstrang. Makkachin is a Purebred dog of impressive lineage and is the best money can buy. Viktor’s father encouraged Viktor to train the dog and show him in dog shows. The man does not care for Muggle activities, but is never one to turn down an opportunity to brag. In reaction to this, Viktor never trained his dog as well as he should, and keeps the dog groomed in the teddy bear style, rather than the traditional show style. He also thinks the show style is ridiculous looking and completely undignified for a dog of Makkachin’s personality.

Vicchan on the other hand was a present for Yuuri bought not long after Yuuri’s obsession with Viktor began. After seeing Viktor skate, Yuuri’s grades had improved and overall outlook on life had lifted, and his parents saw getting a dog for him as both a reward, as well as an encouragement to keep chasing his dreams.

They went to a breeder to inquire about a dog, but were disappointed to find out how expensive the purebreds were. A bit of luck befell them though, when just a few days later the breeder called back, saying she had found an abandoned puppy. The pup had apparently been the runt of the litter at another, less reputable breeder’s kennel. The breeder had abandoned the puppy, but it had fortunately been spotted by a passerby, who took it to the better breeder’s home.

After nursing the pup back to health with the aid of her own dog, the woman offered the puppy to the Katsuki’s at a nominal price (enough to cover the vet costs). Overjoyed, they brought the dog to their son who cried for nearly an hour he was so excited.

Vicchan has always been a bit on the small side (coming in around 50lbs verses Makkachin’s 70lbs), and his stamina has never been as good as it should, but he doesn’t let it slow him down. Under the careful eye of Yuuri and his family, he has grown up to be a very happy dog, never letting his status as a runt keeping him from doing his most important job: loving Yuuri.

(A/N: Please only purchase dogs from reputable breeders or shelters.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the purest, happiest, emotional rollercoaster I’ve ever written. Love it. Viktor had me all choked up.
> 
> But don’t worry guys, Viktor is crying happy tears. He’s had an emotionally charged past few days and having someone go out of their way for him, especially since it was an adult wizard, just took him over the edge for a minute. He’s going to be feeling a lot better about the world after this.
> 
> I have this interesting thought process about Yuuri’s character. In the show, at 18 years old, he travels across the world to train. I made a similar move when I was around that age and I can tell you from experience that it is terrifying. But he did it, which makes me think teenage Yuuri was a bit more ballsy and confident. Somewhere in those 5 years he loses a bit of himself to the nerves.
> 
> Anyways, all that is why I love writing teenage Yuuri. He’s nervous, he has his moments, but (because teenager) he can turn on a dime and be silly and goofy, and even a bit bold. I’m also pretty sure Michele was right and Yuuri is a closet perv. Not that there is anything wrong with that. ;)
> 
> Beware the Russian Octopus, Yuuri! Pure thoughts little Katsudon, at least until you turn 17!
> 
> For those of you who like details, I wanted to include a few bits of my own (obsessive) notes. Please excuse the shitty handwriting, these weren't originally intended for public consumption.
> 
>  
> 
> [Viktor's Room Sketch](http://i.imgur.com/fh4a1Lq.jpg)
> 
>  
> 
> [Rink Sketch](http://i.imgur.com/kIZpj21.jpg)
> 
>  
> 
> [Yuuri's Schedule](http://i.imgur.com/Dag0jPi.jpg)
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks again for reading! Comments are always appreciated - thanks!


	19. Divination Expectation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's structured a bit differently than the previous ones, and there's a little surprise waiting for all of you. I'll see you at the end, enjoy!

**TUESDAY**

It started with another strange dream; at least, he thought it had been strange. He really had no memory of its contents, only that it had felt odd. The last dream had felt like a memory, but this one felt more like a reminder to remember something. Something that wasn’t a memory, but somehow connected to a memory.

He was also strongly aware that the dreams had something to do with magic. There was something important he needed to remember, he supposed, and all the magic around him at Hogwarts was stirring it up. He wondered idly if he should have taken divination; then again, this was the past, not the future.

He then remembered the thing that had woke him up and reached for his phone to read the notification that had come in. It was just before 6 and apparently Viktor was up and ready to run sprints up the Quidditch Stadium steps. Yuuri was vastly tempted to roll over and go back to sleep, but the part of him that still couldn’t believe he was friends with his crush urged him to get a move on.

Ten minutes later he was at the bottom of the stairs, eyes barely open, when he heard some sort of Russian and saw the bright eyed and bushy silver-ponytailed Viktor coming towards him with, thank fuck, a thermos full of coffee.

Yuuri made grabby hands at the caffeine making Viktor laugh as he poured Yuuri a cup. He had apparently added enough cream and sugar that it wasn’t too hot to drink. Honestly, Yuuri preferred to drink tea, but on a morning like this he wasn’t going to be picky.

By the time he’d finished his cup Otabek had joined them, carrying what looked to be several bottles of water.

“Morning, Yuuri,” he grumbled.

“Ohayou,” Yuuri yawned.

Viktor just laughed at them. “Come on! Stairs are waiting.” Otabek and Yuuri both made noises that were close enough to consent for Viktor to lead them out of the castle.

20 minutes and 5 stair sprints later Yuuri was more awake, gratefully gulping water from one of the bottles. “Just a few more Yuuri,” Viktor encouraged him, though his perfection was slacking a bit as he wheezed. Viktor was fast, but his stamina lacked so these stairs seemed to be hardest on him. Otabek it turned out was pretty fit, keeping up easily with Yuuri.

By the time they were done all three had fallen to the ground panting. Yuuri thought his lungs might burst; stellar stamina or no, racing up 6 flights of stairs was rough.

Once they caught their breath, they began working in various exercises. Yuuri focused on crunches and other abdominal exercises, while Viktor worked his hips, thighs and butt (not that Yuuri was watching). Otabek had found a bar that could support his weight above a doorway and was doing pull ups, shirtless of course; because the universe wanted to make Yuuri feel bad about his body this early in the morning. Even Viktor was surreptitiously glaring at his longtime friend.

“I’m going to do one more climb before we run, be right back,” Otabek called as he took off up the stairs again.

The two skaters stared at him as he went.

“How does he have trouble with women?” Yuuri muttered.

“I have no idea…”

\--

“I discovered that Gryffindor Tower has a cat,” Yuuri commented several minutes later, already well into their run.

"Is it new?" Viktor asked.

"Donno. I hadn’t seen it before, then I came down this morning and it's just sitting on a chair, watching me, as if I did something wrong."

"It could sense your inner perv," Otabek teased.

Viktor snorted.

"Can't wait to see the looks it gives you two then," he fired back.

"I'll have you know I am perfectly innocent," Viktor countered.

"Bullshit," Otabek barked.

Viktor blushed a little, looking slightly uncomfortable, and picked up the pace. Yuuri was under no false illusions that the others were as inexperienced as he was, but he didn't have to like it. "What about you Otabek? How much shade would judgment cat cast at you?"

Otabek laughed, "A fair amount." He paused, "what about you? For actual things, not your imagination."

Yuuri sighed, "None..."

Viktor nearly tripped, "Really?"

"You don't have to make fun," Yuuri squirmed.

"I'm not, I just was sure you'd had a girlfriend or something."

"Not many people at school were willing to be more than a casual acquaintance with me, and the only girl I'm close with outside of school already has her soul mate all wrapped up. Neither of them has figured it out yet, but I've been their friend since preschool, so I know."

"Surprising," Otabek murmured, "you could have your pick here."

It was Yuuri's turn to nearly face plant, "You can't be serious?"

Otabek nodded, "Half my house was crossing their fingers you'd go Slytherin. They kept calling you the ‘cute Japanese boy I want to’..."

Yuuri buried his face in his hands and Viktor swore, punching Otabek in the arm, earning him a laugh. "What? It’s true! Girls and guys are totally into you. And sorry Viktor, but you'll have to hit me a lot harder than that if you want to hurt me. I'm used to taking bludgers in the face after all."

"I still have the pictures, you looked like shit."

"Delete those."

"No way, I'm waiting till you fall in love then I'm showing them to you girlfriend as payback."

"For what?" Otabek sounded flabbergasted.

"I have a list, Altin, a very long, very detailed list."

"Whatever Nikiforov. You're just jealous."

"Of what? What a good beaters bat you make?"

Otabek just grinned wickedly, "Oh you know."

"I don't, and for your information I have already met my nemesis and he shares my face." Viktor was glaring daggers at his friend.

Yuuri snorted, "Shut up, both of you. Makka is starting to look bored our pace is so slow.” He had no idea what they were talking about, but it didn’t make their banter any less amusing.

The other two grumbled then picked up the pace.

\--

“I have good news,” Mila declared at breakfast.

“Wass’tha” Viktor questioned, mouth full of breakfast potatoes which he had declared were the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten. Yuuri had told him to hold-out for Katsudon.

Mila sneered at him for a second before continuing, “It turns out Quidditch Captains get Prefect privileges.”

“So?” Yuuri ask.

“Prefects have an extended curfew until midnight.”

“So?” Yuuri and Viktor both asked.

“I spoke with our lovely Gryffindor Prefect last night…Ripley, Riddle…” she shrugged, “and it turns out that Prefects can extend those privileges to other team Captains.”

“So?” Yuuri and Viktor deadpanned again.

“Prefects usually give it out to the head of their house Gobstones and Wizard Chess teams.”

“SO?” This was getting old.

“So, I argued that 3 Professional Figure Skaters were just as important as a House Gobstone team captain.”

“You’re kidding,” Viktor grinned.

“Nope,” Mila broke out into a smile and handed them both a permission slip. “We officially have had our curfews extended until midnight. This means we can move our skate practice until after dinner and get a full 4 hour skate.”

“Mila! You’re amazing!” Yuuri and Viktor both pounced on her.

She giggled, “Oh I know.”

\--

At 10’o’clock, Yuuri, Viktor and Mila made their way up to the tallest tower of the castle, set just opposite Gryffindor tower for their first Astronomy class.

The entire class contained only 10 students, and they were all mostly transfer students. In fact, the only transfer student not taking the class was Guang-Hong, who had pouted a bit when he realized this fact. Ari and Jo were the only Hogwarts students in their year taking the class, much to everyone’s surprise.

“It’s because there was an incident with some overly frisky Hippogriffs last year,” Ari had explained to Yuuri during their Alchemy lesson earlier in the day. “It really wasn’t a big deal, but the story got blown out of proportion so a lot of people backed out.”

“What happened?”

“Oh nothing much. Two of the big males were just having a disagreement and got a bit close to the tower while the 6th years were out here. It wouldn’t have really gotten any attention but apparently as one of them was flying over he uh…well, have you ever seen a car left under a tree full of birds? Apparently the class looked like that when they came down.”

Yuuri had laughed so hard he had cried, but he made a careful mental note to cast a shield charm over his head if he saw any irritable Hippogriffs.

Professor Sinistra called them to attention once everyone had arrived. In her hands she had a stack of blank star charts which she began passing out. “Tonight, you will divide the night sky into quadrants and thoroughly map the stars and their movements throughout the night.”

The students looked at each other, “But Professor,” Sara spoke up, “won’t that take all night?”

The Professor just looked at them, “Yes, it will. I’ll trust you all to organize yourselves. Be sure to bring the charts to class on Friday when we will be discussing your term projects. Have a good night.”

And with a turn on her heel, she was gone; leaving in her wake 10 students with mouth’s wide open. It was a moment before anyone spoke, “Is she crazy?” Ari sputtered. “We have class tomorrow! We’re going to get, what, 4 hours of sleep!”

“Oh my poor broken sleeping schedule,” Leo moaned.

Even Jo looked a bit put out.

“Now now everyone,” Viktor spoke up. “If we divide efficiently we should be able to get everything mapped out within the next two hours. After that the tracking will be simpler and we can take breaks and shifts. We can even get some coffee and blankets and it will be quite comfortable.”

There was some grumbling, but before Yuuri knew it, everyone was divided up and working away on their charts. Yuuri had expected someone like Jo to take charge, but the way in which Viktor had not only organized the work, but also appeased everyone’s frustrations had been remarkable.

Their telescopes were set-up beside each other’s as they began working and after a few minutes Yuuri heard Viktor chuckle, “Bet you didn’t think they’d listen to me.”

Yuuri grinned, whispering, “Well it was a bit out of character for you.”

“I’ve been working with Yakov since I was 7 years old. Most of the skaters under him right now came in after me. I’ve been the defacto leader for years, and you’ve met Mila, she’s one of the easy to handle ones. Leading a group comes pretty naturally to me now.”

“Wow,” was all Yuuri could say.

True to his word, 2 hours later they had completed their star charts and began taking shifts to use the restroom, gather blankets and pillows, and unearth coffee and snacks from the kitchens. By the time Yuuri’s turn rolled around they had everything they needed, so he merely excused himself for a few minutes to refresh himself. Viktor took the last break, retreating downstairs for only a minute before he returned, looking rather pleased with how well everyone was working together.

By 2am everyone’s brains were mostly fried, but they had gotten quite efficient at their recordings, allowing the group several opportunities to relax and chat together. Yuuri soon found himself in the middle of a pile of pillows, blankets and classmates, Sara on his one side and Viktor on his other. It was quite warm despite the chill in the air.

“I wish I could bring Makkachin up here,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri turned and realized Viktor was a lot closer than he’d anticipated. It took a great deal of personal strength not to flinch in surprise. “Y-yeah, me too.”

The night passed slowly and by 4am half the class was barely awake, drifting off for a few minutes only to have to get up and take another reading. Phones were almost constantly going off with alarms alerting each of them to the need to take another reading.

By 6am the sun was nearly up and only a few stars remained visible. Otabek and Yuuri were the only ones still awake, Otabek reading off measurements and Yuuri jotted them down on their respective star charts. Viktor’s head had found its way into Yuuri’s lap nearly an hour ago, and it took Yuuri a great deal of self control to refrain from playing with the silky strands of his hair that were fanning over his legs.

“I’ve never seen him so comfortable with anyone,” Otabek muttered quietly, as Yuuri caught himself staring at Viktor again. He struggled with how to answer when Otabek muttered out a new reading, effectively cutting off any impending reply.

Finally, when the sun peaked around 6:30, Otabek and Yuuri gently roused the rest of the class. Mila and Viktor seemed to be the most stubborn, so the two lone survivors in the war with sleep carefully helped them to their feet. Yuuri was forced to carry Mila on his back, while Otabek had gotten Viktor just awake enough to walk with his arm over Otabek’s shoulder.

With a wave of farewell at the stairs, they parted, slowly making their way to their respective dormitories, Yuuri seriously wondering how he was going to get Mila to her room when he arrived. Fortunately he found Jo leaning against the wall just outside the portrait waiting when he arrived.

“I was worried I’d fall asleep if I went inside,” she muttered.

Yuuri nodded and followed her to the stairs where he handed Mila off to Jo, who shook her just awake enough for the two to slowly climb the stairs. By the time he made it to his own bed, Yuuri had no energy left to even consider changing, flopping onto his bed and into a dreamless sleep.

 

**WEDNESDAY**

The next morning Yuuri blearily dressed in what he hoped would pass as an acceptable uniform, not really paying much attention to what he was putting on before trudging down to his Alchemy classroom.

More than half of the class was also in Astronomy, and the division in the room was clear. Riko and Charlie were both staring open mouthed as the other’s walked in, all in varying states of disarray. That is until Viktor walked in, hair a bit messy in a bun on top of his head, but looking fresh faced and awake other than that.

“Good Morning!” he smiled merrily at the others as he sat down next to Yuuri.

Yuuri glared at Viktor, “I think you were lying to me about not being a dark wizard.”

Viktor blinked, looking hurt, “What did I do?” He whispered.

Yuuri barely had it in him to keep up the scowl on his face, “We were up all night for Astronomy and you still look perfect. Clearly there is dark magic at play here.”

Viktor’s mouth fell open before he suddenly barked out a laugh, gripping his sides. Mila (who Yuuri noticed was wearing trainers and leggings under her uniform instead of the usual loafers and tights) threw a quill at him growling at him to shut up with a long string of Russian words that Yuuri was sure weren’t fit for polite conversation. “Oh Yuuri, it’s hardly dark magic, unless you consider a healthy skin care regimen to be dark magic?”

“Maybe, what’s in it? Unicorn blood? Mermaid hairs? Dragon scales?”

Viktor giggled, “Actually I make it from the tears of Purebloods who get mad that I like Muggles. Their salt gives me life.”

Yuuri laid his head down on the table and just laughed. If he wasn’t so tired he’d probably have some sort of witty comeback.

“Don’t forget skating club this afternoon Yuuri,” Viktor softly reminded him.

Yuuri groaned a bit. “We should have put it on Tuesdays.”

“But then we wouldn’t have time to nap before Astronomy.”

Yuuri glares at him again, “Must be nice to only have a 2 hour time difference to accommodate.”

“Actually its 3 hours,” Viktor corrected him cheekily.

“Nine. Hours. Nikiforov. Nine freaking hours. That means it’s going to take me more than a week to get adjusted, and you want me to go to Russia with you this weekend so I’m going to get even more screwed up.”

A look of pain crossed his face, “Do you not want to go?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Viktor still looked a bit hurt so Yuuri stealthily took his hand under the table and peered up at him through heavily lidded eyes, “I really want to go Viktor. I can barely sleep at night I’m so excited. I love spending time with you. I don’t care if it ruins my sleep for the next two weeks, I’m going. But I get to be salty about the time zones for another week.”

Viktor blinked for a moment before grinning, “My skin will just look all that much better then.”

Jo stumbled into the classroom next looking slightly better than Yuuri felt. She never wore make-up, but her hair thus far had always been smooth. Today it looked like she had simply blasted it dry with the end of her wand, not even bothering to comb it. She also apparently wore glasses as well because thick black frames were resting on her nose.

She slumped down on the bench and with a wave of her wand several pieces of fruit, some ice and yogurt all flew into a cup, none of which had been there a moment ago. She stuck her wand tip in the opening and with a sudden crunching noise she swirled it a few times, before pulling her wand out, conjuring a straw inside and taking a sip of what looked to be a sort of smoothie.

Yuuri couldn’t help but be impressed by her wand work when she looked like she could barely manage speech.

Viktor began begging her to teach him the trick, to which she just glared and pushed the smoothie at him before waving her wand and quickly whipping up another.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re annoying in the morning, Viktor?” she muttered, with a slight teasing edge to her voice.

“Way ahead of you, Jo,” Yuuri muttered.

\--

By the time Skating Club rolled around, Yuuri was dead on his feet. Alchemy, Defense Against the Dark Arts and double Transfiguration had taken what remained of his energy (and soul) and left him a husk. He knew it was a one-time thing, but he still felt terrible.

As he entered the rink he was both happy and sad for skating club. On the one hand, he had a good excuse not to skate his hardest, on the other, he really could use some quiet time on the ice.

There were quite a few people there, a few of his classmates as well as several people he didn’t know. Viktor was busy chatting with everyone, skates already on. He smiled at Yuuri and nodded towards the cubbies. Yuuri smiled back and strapped on his skates before bending into a few simple stretches.

He knew he should be social now, but he needed a minute, so without looking back, his removed his guards and slid onto the ice, letting himself fly.

The cold air revitalized him and soon he was performing spins and some of his favorite footwork. It felt wonderful. Before he could really think about time and place he lifted off into a Triple Axel, coming down as smoothly as he ever had, a small surge of triumph coursing through his veins.

The applause broke his vigil. More than 20 people were watching him, looks of awe clear on their faces. Viktor was beaming at him.

“As I was saying, this is Yuuri Katsuki! The delightful redhead warming up over there is Mila Babicheva. And I’m Viktor Nikiforov. All three of us our professional figure skaters and we’ll be running the club. This will mostly be a place where everyone is welcomed to come and have fun skating. If you’ve never skated before we’ll help teach you, and if you have and want to learn a few more complicated moves, we can help with that too. Any questions?”

A younger boy with sandy hair piped up, “Is that a hard jump?”

Viktor smile, “It’s considered the most difficult triple spin jump. There are quad spins that are technically harder, but there are many skaters who can do quads who still have trouble with Triple Axels like Yuuri just did. Yuuri’s one of the best at the Axel.”

“What about you?” The boy asked.

“Viktor’s signature move is the Quad Flip,” Yuuri slid up to the barrier as he replied. “He’s pretty much the only one in the world who can do it.”

“Oh I don’t know about that…” Viktor said modestly.

“It’s true,” Yuuri grinned excitedly at the others, his inner fan boy slipping out. “Don’t let him act too modest, he’s the best skater in the world and has the medal to prove it.”

“Yuuri…” Viktor sounded a bit embarrassed.

“He’s my favorite skater. Watching him is what gave me a lot of courage to skate.”

“Now now Yuuri,” Mila wandered over, laughing, “don’t puff up his ego too much.”

Viktor coughed, a slight flush on his cheeks, “Anyways, the school has several pairs of skates for your all to use in the cubbies. They’re all self sizing so just slip them on and lace them up and the skates will do the rest. Once you’re set, let us know if you need a hand getting on the ice and we’ll get started. If you’re experienced, stay more towards center ice and leave the edges for newer skaters so they can use the walls to balance.”

Mila led the group in some basic stretches while Yuuri and Viktor helped several people with their skates and before long the whole group was on the ice. There were about 8 people who could already skate well enough on their own, but the rest were all new.

Yuuri found himself helping a 1st year Hufflepuff girl who was so tiny Yuuri was shocked she was 11. Which was saying a lot because Yuuri had been pretty small himself.

The door to the rink opened about 5 minutes after they had gotten everyone on the ice and Otabek walked in carrying hockey skates.

“Sorry I’m late,” he waved, “I went up to my room to get my skates and I sort of fell asleep.”

Viktor laughed, “I had to force myself not to touch the bed for fear of doing the same.”

“I didn’t know you had your own skates,” Yuuri said, looking over from the 3rd year boy he was helping to shakily slide across the ice.

“Yeah, I asked my mom to send them once I realized Viktor was running this thing. Figured you could use another experienced skater.”

Yuuri and Viktor both smiled and soon Otabek was on the ice, he quickly focused on helping the older, larger skaters with Viktor while Yuuri and Mila were focusing on smaller skaters. Before too long the rink was filled with laughter as more and more people got the hang of skating.

“Excuse me,” the small girl was tugging on Yuuri’s sleeve. “I was wondering if you could skate for us again?”

Yuuri could see Viktor grinning over her shoulder, “I can’t really skate like that with so many people on the ice; it’s dangerous.”

“We could move!” she said eagerly.

Yuuri scratched his head, “Ah well, I wouldn’t want to…”

“Would you all like to see one of Yuuri’s programs?” Viktor asked loudly. “It’s getting close to dinner time so we could end on that.”

There was a cheer and everyone started making their way to the exits. Viktor grinned and skated close to Yuuri. Yuuri stuck his tongue out, “You’re skating for them next week.”

Viktor chuckled, “Sounds good, then Mila can go the week after. We’ll rotate.” He winked and skated to the exit, helping the last of the stragglers.

“What music do you want Yuuri?” Mila asked, sliding up to him.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and scanned through his playlists; he had several that contained only one song but were labeled based on what they were used for. He smiled seeing the Playlist he’d named ‘Exhibition #3’, “Thanks but I can start it myself,” he grinned at her.

Mila blinked curiously at him shrugged and skated off as Yuuri skated over to the stereo and selected the track. He had 5 exhibition programs, but really only 2 that were even remotely ready for public consumption. Celestino had an impressive library of American music and would play the tracks for them during practices to motivate him and Phichit. Yuuri had selected some of his favorites and mapped out some programs for them. This program wasn’t as polished as he’d like, but it was fun. He had a feeling the others would like it too.

Part of the reason it was an interesting exhibition program was that he didn’t start the song at center ice. Instead, he started on the side of the ice, acting as if he was just casually skating as the light music played until it suddenly dropped with a pound into the song and Yuuri began to dance. With good lighting he could seemingly appear out of nowhere, blending in until he wanted everyone’s attention.

Normally his moves slid, but in this program they pounded, his body, head, arms and skates snapping hard with the beat between the moves. His normally beautiful footwork was now hard and fast, yet no less appealing to watch. He spun and stepped all over the ice, jerking his body in the fierce dance. The jumps were accents, placed so as to explode at the peak of excitement.

He kept his signature on this program, filling it with complicated steps, and back loading all of the jumps. He executed his Triple Axel early, and placed an occasional small jump throughout, but left his Quad Toe Loop Triple Flip combo and his Quad Salchow for the final chorus. This program highlighted his strengths, played with his versatility, and allowed others a peak at another side of his personality that was often kept hidden. It was a program just for him, and no one else, and that set him free.

As he took his final pose, breathing hard, he couldn’t help but smile. He had landed all his jumps, it was still a big accomplishment. Cheers were vaguely filling his ears but he didn’t really care, he just kept smiling to himself. It felt so good to skate for himself and skate well; the audience didn’t matter.

He looked up, planning to wave to the group in thanks (he might be skating for himself but he wasn’t so rude as to not thank his audience), when he saw Viktor. His expression was so curious. Yuuri felt his blades stop on the ice as he just stared at Viktor, and he stared back.

Yuuri was vaguely aware of Mila and Otabek thanking the others for coming, and people waving as the left, promising to come back; but all he could see was Viktor. Yuuri smiled and thanked a few people, but stayed on the ice. Mila and Otabek both stripped off their skates, stowing them in their own cubbies. There was a momentary pause before Mila rolled her eyes, “We’ll see you at dinner.”

And they were alone.

Slowly, Viktor removed his guards and slid out to meet Yuuri on the ice. The sound of blades on ice breaking the silence spoke to Yuuri on some primal level.

“I’ve never seen that program,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri couldn’t explain the feelings in his gut. “I have some other programs; I could show you them some time.”

Viktor nodded, “I like seeing another side of you. I can’t wait to see you competing on the same ice as me. I keep thinking I couldn’t be more excited to see you skate, but then you show me something new.”

“It’s the same for me. Will you show me something new soon?”

Viktor grinned, “Somehow I feel like you’ve probably seen all my programs.”

“Guess you’ll just have to make a new one for me then.”

Something flashed in Viktor’s eyes, that swirling feeling in Yuuri’s gut tightened as Viktor nodded, “I suppose I will. Something just for you.”

There was something swirling under the surface, something powerful, but whatever it was, it had him and Viktor rooted on the ice for several minutes, staring at each other, trying to understand some deeper truth.

Yuuri wasn’t entirely sure how they got off the ice after that, nor did he remember unlacing his skates or walking to the Great Hall for dinner, but at some point, the smell of food broke through the fog in his mind. Yuuri breathed, realizing how in his head he’d been for the past quarter hour, finally joining-in with the conversation his friends were having.

**THURSDAY**

He was alone.

Always alone. If he was always so alone in life why must he be so alone in dreams too?

Fog.

Nothing but grey and fog, like the inside of Mila’s crystal ball, only he had never taken divination so to him the swirls were nothing but crystallizing water.

Viktor stared around the room, angry, sad, so many emotions.

So alone.

Always so alone.

There was a laugh.

Viktor looked up. A child? He couldn’t see. There was a mirror and he saw himself, he was small, maybe 11? Why was he a child in this dream?

The laugh again.

There was something magical about it. It was like sunshine, slowly shedding light on the room around him. But there was nothing, no one there, just that laugh, that child’s laugh.

Except, as child-like as it sounded, and surely he had never heard such a sound, it was oh so familiar, as if he’d heard it a dozen times.

It was not cruel; it was not harsh, so unlike everything he knew. It was like music, like water in the desert.

It was getting closer, that laugh, that sound. Viktor yearned for it, his very soul crying out desperate to find the source.

Another laugh and the fog began to clear.

A face! He saw something, someone. Someone was appearing out of the mist, coming towards him.

That laugh again, and then the eyes. He knew those eyes. He knew them!

The mist.

No!

It was swirling. Who was this? Why were they leaving? “Don’t go!” he cried, “Don’t leave me alone! Stay close to me!”

And then a hand reached out to him.

\--

When Yuuri arrived at breakfast he found Mila and Guang-Hong sitting across from Viktor, who was whispering to them quickly. Yuuri sat down next to Viktor, looking curiously at Mila who was shuffling cards and staring at them curiously.

Guang-Hong sighed, “Sorry Viktor. I don’t see anything.” Yuuri noticed the sticks on the table. “As far as I can tell your dream isn’t about the future. Is the first you’ve had like this?”

Viktor shrugged, “The fog is nothing new, it happens a lot, but the laugh, that was new. I just want to understand it.”

“Maybe it’s just a sign that you’re happy?” Mila questioned. She flipped a few more cards. “It’s weird; things around you are so unclear.” She muttered looking down at the tarot cards.

“Something is coming,” Guang-Hong shifted his sticks. “It’s coming and yet it’s here? Something is changing.”

Viktor sighed and finally looked at Yuuri, “Sorry, I’ve been having strange dreams. Mila’s pretty good at reading for me so I figured I’d ask.” He glanced over at Guang-Hong, “Thanks for looking.”

“No problem! You’re very interesting. Is it alright if I look again? I promise to tell you if I get anything more concrete.”

Viktor nodded.

“You’re having dreams too?” Yuuri asked.

Mila and Guang-Hong both looked up, “You too Yuuri?” Mila asked.

Yuuri nodded, “Nothing specific, I can hardly remember them, only that they are odd. The first was about when I was a kid, I was at my dance studio and then I saw…someone.” What was it he saw? He couldn’t remember anymore. “I remember something was wrong about them.” He sighed, “The rest are just odd, like flashes of something. It’s almost like I’m trying to sort out what I saw in the first dream.”

Mila was flipping out cards while Guang-Hong was looking at his sticks, both faces tight with concentration. Mila muttered.

“What do you see?” Viktor asked, leaning over a bit.

“He’s just as unclear as you are, Viktor,” Guang-Hong said.

Mila nodded and pointed to a card, “Happiness,” she pointed to another, “sorrow.” She pointed again and again, “pain, joy; achievement, failure. You’re completely snarled.”

Guang-Hong nodded, “Something is coming, but it’s already begun.” His brow furrowed, “There is one part that’s more clear.”

“What’s that,” Yuuri had to admit he was curious.

“By more clear you have to understand that it’s still incredibly vague; but there’s something here,” he pointed, “something is going to change. It’s like it’s following your footsteps, creating behind you. You’ve started down a path, and while I can’t read what will happen, I can tell that you can’t turn back. As unsure as everything is, the only certainty is that you will face these…things.”

Mila nodded, flipping more cards before sucking in a breath. “Viktor’s path and yours are intertwined, have been ever since Worlds. They were loose knots, but now…”

Guang-Hong nodded, “The moment you met here they became completely entangled. Yuuri’s path was set quite a while ago, but the moment he came in contact with you, Viktor, he caught you up in his path. You two have to walk this together.”

“Is that a good thing?” Yuuri couldn’t help but feel nervous, it sounded like he was somehow forcing Viktor into something.

“I think so,” Mila whispered.

Guang-Hong was looking curiously at his sticks, “It’s so odd…”

“What is?” Viktor asked.

“Everything…”

The bell rang them, summoning them all to class. Fortune telling, Yuuri thought, only ever posed more questions than it answered. He and Mila sat down together in Transfiguration, readying their things for class when Mila spoke.

“Do you want to know what’s odd?” she asked.

Yuuri hesitated but nodded.

She quickly pulled out her wand and two strings appeared out of nowhere, they began twisting and twining together, first loose, and then forming a tight, inseparable knot. “This is you and Viktor. Somehow in just a few days you too have formed a bond that, at least I think, will last a lifetime. Don’t ask me what form it is, it could be friendship, it could be brothers, could be lovers, could even be enemies, but you two are bound to one another from here on out. But that’s not the interesting part.” She pointed towards the loose part of the string, “The weird part is you two have been circling each other for years.”

Yuuri blinked, “Maybe it’s because I was his fan. He really influenced me.”

“But then it would just be one sided, his string wrapping around yours or the other way. It’s not like that. You two have been interacting for much longer than you should have been.”

“But Viktor had no idea who I was until last year?”

Mila shrugged, “I know, and yet, it’s like a part of him has known you his whole life. Like I said, it doesn’t make any sense.”

“It almost sounds like we’re some sort of soul mates.”

Mila just stared at him, blinking slowly.

Yuuri’s eyes widened, “I was joking!”

“I’m not. Look, Divination is good guess work at best most of the time, but sometimes something is just obvious. You and Viktor are obvious. You’re connected. That’s what soul mates are. People always force romantic meaning to it, but at its core, soul mates are simply two people whose lives are so intertwined they cannot be separated. That’s you and Viktor.” Her eyes flashed for a second, “So don’t fuck it up. You have more power over him than you know. You could destroy him, but you could also save him.”

Yuuri paused, the weight of her words settling in, “Do you think that’s what our dreams mean? I mean, we’re both having strange dreams, that has to mean something right?”

“No idea. Best I can tell, you’re both heading towards something together and your magic is dancing around each other’s.”

“Maybe it’s Worlds?” Yuuri thought hopefully.

Professor McGonagall entered the classroom then, quickly calling them to order. Yuuri saw Mila shake her head out of the corner of his eyes and heard her whisper, “It’s nothing as mundane as Worlds.”

Yuuri focused on the lesson at hand, itching the entire time to understand more.

Mila had a free period after Transfiguration, so she walked with Yuuri towards Muggle Studies, sensing, Yuuri supposed, that he still had questions.

“Why did Viktor ask you and Guang-Hong about his dream? I wouldn’t have thought he’d give much credit to Divination.”

She sighed, “Because I was right once.”

“What do you mean?”

“During my second year I got this awful feeling that something bad was going to happen. My dreams were swirling around it, the cards pointed to it, and the ball kept growing dark, as if something really bad was waiting. I could tell it wasn’t something happening to me, but to someone I was close to.

“I told Viktor about it, that type of thing had never happened to me so I wanted his opinion, so he had me read his cards. He figured if it was something happening to someone close to me, it might affect him too.

“His cards were way more specific. He had a choice to make, to act or not to act. Acting might cause him trouble, but not acting was sure to cause him pain. The strangest part was every time he asked who was in danger I would see this cat. But not a normal cat, a cartoon one.

“I think Viktor started to figure it out a few days before it happened. He was carrying his wand to practice with him, and he wasn’t letting Yuri out of his sight. Then, the day it happened, Yuri shows up to practice with a stuffed cat just like the one I saw. It had been a gift from his Grandfather and he was really excited.

“We were all walking together to dance practice when Yuri dropped the toy in the street. He went to grab it. He was really small back then and no one noticed, certainly not the car that was coming right at him.

“All of a sudden Viktor is just there, grabbing Yuri and pulling him out of the way. To anyone who didn’t know better, he’d just had really good reflexes and gotten there fast. It could all be explained by adrenaline. But to anyone who knows, well, it was pretty obvious. He told me later that it wasn’t much of a choice, he just sort of reacted. He’d known Yuri was in danger all week and he knew that he’d do what it took to protect him.

“The Government wasn’t too happy with Viktor, and I’m guessing his father wasn’t either based on the bruise he had the next day, but he never complained.  Yuri’s grandfather made him Pirozhkies the next day as thanks and they’ve been Viktor’s favorite food ever since.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but be impressed, “Divination always seemed like guess work to me.”

“It is, but a few wizards have a strong intuition about those guesses. I’m not claiming to be a seer, and Viktor would never take my words as law, but he likes seeing what I think. It helps him make decisions.”

She paused, “He had me read for him just before Worlds. I could tell he was struggling with a decision, but the cards didn’t show him doing what he seemed to think he would. Instead it kept showing an unexpected encounter over and over. It was like the cards were just telling him to wait. So he did.”

“You think they were pointing to me?”

“Maybe, hindsight is 20/20 after all. Meeting you seemed to change him, and his cards grew much clearer after that so it’s a safe bet in my opinion.”

The bell signaling the start of class began to ring, Yuuri waved goodbye and ducked in the classroom, taking his seat just as the last bell chimed.

Yuuri pondered Mila’s words throughout the day, but most of his thoughts on the matter had amounted to nothing.  As far as he could tell, Mila could tell the direction of things, and she and Guang-Hong both believed the he and Viktor were connected; that Viktor was important to him, and he was important to Viktor. He didn’t really put much stock in Divination, but that he could believe. Viktor had changed his life, and he was determined to repay the Russian somehow.

By Charms, all thoughts of futures, soul mates, divination, and destinies were driven out of his mind. Professor Flitwick had them pair up and perform nonverbal charms on each other. Viktor had gotten exceptionally good at nonverbal spells throughout the week; in fact, it seemed to Yuuri that his struggles with his Shield Charm had been more an unfamiliarity with the spell then a problem with the nonverbal aspect. Currently Viktor was mercilessly casting nonverbal tickling charms on him, and it was all Yuuri could do to keep from falling over as he gasped for air, giggling uncontrollably.

‘Soul mates,’ he thought, ‘I don’t know about that.” Still, he couldn’t help but smile every time he saw Viktor having fun, and that had to count for something.

An hour later, sides still sore, they arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts Club. Ari had each of them do some basic spells before he split them up. Viktor’s Shield was still weak, so Ari had him pair up with some younger students to practice. Yuuri on the other hand seemed to have a good grasp on the basics, so Riko worked on teaching him a barrier spell that she thought would appeal to his protective instincts.

Yuuri enjoyed the practice, and had a good time meeting several new people. He’d not had much of a chance to meet anyone outside of his year. There were even a few 7th years in the class and they were especially helpful. By dinnertime, Viktor’s shield charm was looking much better, especially his nonverbal version. Riko noticed that when he saw Yuuri watching him, he tended to do better so soon Yuuri was assigned to cheer on Viktor. In fact, the larger and more supportive the crowd, the better he seemed to do.

“Ever the showman,” Ari laughed.

Viktor grinned, “I guess it makes sense, performing just comes naturally to me.”

**FRIDAY**

To say Yuuri had never had a dirty dream would be a lie. It would also be a lie to say he never had a dirty dream about Viktor. However, when he woke up Friday morning from his first dirty dream about Viktor since becoming friends, he couldn’t help but groan with embarrassment into his pillow. He really hoped he hadn’t talked in his sleep.

It had been so different from anything he’d experienced in the past. Now Viktor’s face wasn’t set in that practiced expression, but rather alight with so many new faces he’d witnessed in person. Yuuri now knew the feel of Viktor’s hands, and what it felt like to be hugged by the teen. All of that information swirled together within his imagination to create the most realistic dream he’d ever experienced.

He really, really hoped he hadn’t talked in his sleep.

He took a few minutes to calm himself down and shake the mortification off his shoulders, finally peering up at Poster Viktor who was smiling kindly as he twirled on the ice. Yuuri had started to see the differences between the real Viktor and his poster version over the past few days. This 2D representation, while sweet and adorable, had a much shallower range of emotions, and seemed to fixate on a narrow range of topics.

The real Viktor was frightfully intelligent and immeasurably curious over a whole range of subjects. He could listen to a person talk about the most mundane of things for hours, his gaze never wavering, his focus never drifting. He was also a tremendously hard worker. Yuuri had watched him miss jumps, stumble during footwork sequences, and collapse from exhaustion after a hard work out; and then he’d get up and try again. Nothing seemed to truly defeat him.

The more he saw the differences, the more he loved the human Viktor.

He’d also come to accept that his feelings for the skating monster from before, as strong as they had felt, were shallow in comparison to what was growing within him. His simple crush was evolving into something well beyond his control. He didn’t put a name to it just yet, but within his mind he knew where he was headed.

Slowly, he pulled himself out of bed and made for the common room. He and Viktor had decided to forgo their morning run since Yakov was sure to work them to the bone that evening, so instead, Yuuri opted to do a few stretches and crunches in the corner of the open area as a means to bring himself fully awake.

Half an hour later, mind and body more alert, he showered, changed, and headed down for breakfast.

“Morning Yuuri! Any dreams last night?” Guang-Hong bounded up to him as he was making his way towards the Great Hall.

Yuuri just barely avoided falling headfirst down the stairs. “Uh, no, I mean yes, but not about…” He bit his lip, trying not to die of shame.

“Oh…” A blush crept over Guang-Hongs cheeks as he slowly got the idea. “Ok, no problem. I’m fairly sure that wouldn’t be anything worth note.”

Yuuri nodded, the two continuing their walk in awkward silence. That is until Viktor bounced over to them just as they reached the bottom of the staircase.

“Morning!” he sang, glomping onto Yuuri.

“Morning Viktor,” Guang-Hong seemed to pause before nervously asking, “anymore dreams?”

Viktor sighed, “Much the same really. Just some fog, I tried looking for the laughing, but I couldn’t find it.”

“Do you usually look for something in the fog?”

Viktor shook his head, “No, I’ve been having the dreams for years, so I never look for anything.”

“Then don’t look for anything now. The fog could be signaling that you are lost, when you search it does nothing but isolate you, but maybe if you just refuse to search, as you did before, it’ll send clue to you again.”

Viktor frowned, but nodded. “Too bad I can’t just be a normal teenager and have dirty dreams.”

Yuuri choked on his own spit and Guang-Hong pretended he heard someone call his name and ran off to the Hufflepuff table. Viktor looked at Yuuri curiously as he patted his back; Yuuri for his part just focused on returning oxygen to his brain.

When his lung function was restored, they made their way up to Gryffindor table, only to be immediately called over to the staff table by Professor McGonagall. “I’ve heard from your Professors that you have both been doing exceptionally well. In particular I was impressed with your Transfiguration essay, Katsuki.”

“Thank you ma’am,” Yuuri bowed slightly to her. Old habits.

She smiled, “You won’t do anything foolish this weekend, will you Mr. Nikiforov? Technically you are an adult so Mr. Katsuki would be in your care.”

Viktor looked serious, “I won’t let anything happen to him.” There was a pause before Viktor smiled cheekily, “I’ll make sure he eats his vegetables and does his homework too, promise Professor!”

She nodded, satisfied, the corners of her mouth tilting ever so slightly upwards. “Then you have my approval to go this weekend. Are you both packed?”

They nodded, “Mila’s ready too,” Viktor confirmed.

“Good, make sure you leave right after classes are over. It’s best not to draw too much attention to your departure.” They nodded, smiling excitedly. The Head Mistress laughed, “Have fun and work hard you two.”

\--

The morning passed by slowly, Viktor and Yuuri both arriving at Astronomy a little worse for wear after their Herbology and Potions lessons. Viktor had some sort of pollen stuck in his hair while Yuuri was pretty sure he had some vile green sludge matted into his own after one of his classmates had exploded his cauldron.

They both slumped into their seats as Professor Sinistra called them to order and went over their collective star charts from their all night viewing.

“We’ll be conducting a year-long observation of several special star clusters, watching as a group to note their changes. It is only through prolonged and methodical observation that you can begin to see the bigger picture when it comes to the night sky. To that end, you will be working in pairs, each taking a shift throughout the night each week to track and observe several key astrological features.”

She waved her wand and a schedule appeared on the board:

20:00 – 22:00:

22:00 – 0:00:

0:00 – 2:00:

2:00 – 4:00:

4:00 – 6:00:

“Pair up and select your times,” she instructed.

Viktor and Yuuri turned towards one another quickly, smiling. Several of their classmates laughed at them good naturedly before they began pairing up.

“What time would be good?” Yuuri asked.

“Maybe the midnight shift. We’ll be skating till just before then anyways.” Viktor looked around, “Does anyone mind…”

“Go for it,” several people cut him off. There was a sprinkling of laughter through-out the room as the others were pairing up.

Mila and Sara had already paired up as well.

“If no one minds, we’ll take the first shift,” Mila called out. There were several murmurs of approval. She looked over at Yuuri and Viktor, “You guys want midnight?”

They both nodded and Mila waved her wand, adding their names to the schedule.

Yuuri felt a bit bad. There were some clearly bad shift that would ruin anyone’s night of rest, yet he, Viktor and Mila had commanded some of the best slots.

“Don’t feel bad, Yuuri,” Ari poked him from behind. “We already all talked and decided to give you skaters first pick since you’re schedules are the most insane. Quidditch players get next choice,” he nodded towards Otabek and Jo who it seemed had partnered up and were claiming the 10’o’clock slot.

The only pairs left were Seung-gil and Imara, and Leo and Ari. Soon they sorted out the assignments, “I prefer to get up early anyways,” Imara had commented as she and Seung-gil took the last time slot, leaving Leo and Ari with the middle shift.

Professor Sinistra nodded, waving her wand and sending papers flying at them all, full of instructions for their observations next week, as well as the now completed schedule.

The rest of the lesson was a lecture on nebulas, which was fascinating enough to keep Yuuri’s attention, even if he was a bit distracted by the knowledge that every Wednesday morning he’d be alone with Viktor. Actually it would start Tuesday night since Mila wouldn’t be able to skate with them while she was doing her shift.

He couldn’t help but wonder why she had chosen that one, the question gnawing at him. He quickly scribbled it down on a slip of parchment and, waiting until Professor Sinistra’s back was turned, slid it over to her.

Mila’s eyebrow raised as she read the question, quickly jotting down a reply and sliding the paper back:

                _Why did you take the first shift?_

_So you could be alone with Viktor, dummy._

Yuuri blushed and sent Mila a meaningful ‘We’ll talk later’ look, to which she simply shrugged.

Class ended a bit early, and their class moved collectively down to the mostly deserted Great Hall for lunch, finding only a handful of students including Guang-Hong. An unspoken agreement went through the class as they all sat with the boy at the Hufflepuff table.

“So Yuuri,” Jo leaned over conspiratorially, though she hadn’t lowered her voice at all, “looking forward to visiting Russia tonight?”

Several faces swerved and looked at them and Yuuri buried his face into his hands while Mila and Viktor laughed.

“Jo!” Mila chided, “don’t tease him!”

The Prefect laugh, “Sorry, couldn’t help myself, his reactions are cute.”

“You’re going to Russia, Yuuri?” Leo asked.

“Yep! He’s coming to practice with me and Mila tonight. Special one-time treat.” Viktor grinned.

The others seemed impressed, making Yuuri promise to take pictures. Jo was apparently in a mischievous mood though, because she carried on, “You’re bringing your dog, right Viktor?”

Several mouths dropped open, “You have a dog!” Guang-Hong cried.

“I want to meet it,” the normally quiet Seung-gil chipped in.

Viktor was now blushing, “Jo! That’s a secret!”

Jo was just grinning, “We both know you want to bring him around with you wherever you go, I’m just making it easier. Since we all know now you can easily bring him to Astronomy, right?”

Yuuri couldn’t help but be impressed, Jo really was a master manipulator. At least she only seemed to use her power for good.

 As their other friends began filtering in for lunch, they all gravitated towards the Hufflepuff table, seeming content to sit together. This had the unintended consequence however that a few Hufflepuffs didn’t have room to sit, forcing them to join other tables, glaring a bit at the rowdy group of 6th years who had taken over their table. The problem grew worse when a few members of the DADA Club and the Skating club from other years wandered over to join them.

Their group was growing in both size and volume, and yet it wasn’t uncomfortable. Viktor cast several glances at Yuuri throughout the meal, testing his comfort levels. Yuuri could only smile back reassuringly. This was ok.

That is until one of the 3rd years who’d come to skating club told the others about Yuuri’s skate, “You should have seen it, it was like watching some rock music video! It was so cool!”

“Yuuri, skating to rock?” Riko’s eyebrow stared at him with open curiosity.

“I don’t know why it’s surprising,” Leo chimed in, to Yuuri’s momentary relief, until he continued, “he dances hip-hop so skating to rock isn’t that surprising.”

Soon Yuuri’s face was buried in his robes and Viktor was laughing so hard he was having trouble staying upright on the bench as one after another friends who weren’t privy to all of Yuuri’s hidden artistic sides began questioning him about what other secrets he was keeping from them.

Thank god they didn’t know about the pole dancing.

It was a small blessing when the bell chimed, signaling it was time to move onto the next, and for Yuuri, Viktor, and Mile; last class of the day.

“You remember the password?” Viktor spoke softly in Yuuri’s ear as they made their way for the doors. Yuuri nodded. “After your lesson, get ready and then bring Mila and your stuff to my room. We’ll be Flooing from there.”

Yuuri nodded once more and quickly caught up to Riko, Mila and Jo making their way down to the Greenhouses for a quick Herbology lesson, which turned out to be finishing the repotting Viktor’s class had mostly finished that morning.

He quickly learned why Viktor had been covered in pollen as the flowers had vast bunches of it, and seemed to have a somewhat creepy way of applying it to passing animals. As they worked, the flowers rubbed themselves all over their hair, focusing especially on anyone with long hair. They must have loved Viktor.

Finally, the last plant was potted and the class was dismissed to their next class, or to shower as many of them sprinted up to the dorm wanting desperately to get the sticky substance off them.

It didn’t take long for Yuuri to clean-up and dress for a long day of skating. Minako had insisted he pack a small duffle bag in his trunk and now he was grateful to have it as he shoved several sets of training clothes, as well as a few casual t-shirts and a pair of jeans into the bag. He’d already collected his skates the night before, switching his blades to the Muggle-safe ones just in case.

He wandered down to the common room and sank into a chair to wait for Mila, taking some time to text with some of his friends back home, including Emil and Michele who he hadn’t had much chance to talk to since coming to Hogwarts. Michele was hesitant to talk about specifics, but it was obvious that Sara had told him Yuuri was here. The two made plans to get dinner together and chat the next time they competed together.

He was in the middle of being teased by Yuuko when Mila finally came downstairs, wand out, directing a large rolling suitcase as she went.

“Do you want me to take that for you?” Yuuri offered, guessing the bag must weigh a ton.

“Na, I got it. I might take you up on it once we get back to the Muggle world.”

Yuuri grabbed his duffle bag and book bag and headed out with Mila. The halls were so quiet with everyone in class.

“Are you in love with Viktor?” For the second time that day Yuuri nearly fell down the stairs. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“No, I mean,” Yuuri stammered, “Maybe, but not yet. I’m not sure. If it’s just friends that’s fine!”

Mila nodded, “I get it.” She paused sighing, but Yuuri could see a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“You seem to want it to happen,” Yuuri spoke quietly, watching her reaction.

She shrugged, “You make each other happy, and you’re the first person I’ve ever known who just sees Viktor for who he is. You don’t fall for that fake act he puts on for fans. So yeah, if it makes you both happy, I want it to happen.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile, “Thanks Mila.”

“Just make sure you work hard, Viktor wants us all at Worlds and it’ll break his heart if either of us screw up.”

Yuuri just laughed, calling out, “Shrivelfig” to the blank wall that marked the entrance to Slytherin Dungeon.

They were immediately greeted by the face of a very surprised Slytherin Prefect.

“What? How did you get in here?”

“Password,” Mila replied simply, continuing to move into the common room, her large suitcase acting as a bit of a battering ram.

“How did you get it?!” The Prefect spluttered.

“Viktor gave it to me,” Yuuri responded.

“If you’ll excuse us we need to be going,” Mila pushed past the last of the Prefect’s half-hearted defenses, shoving her suitcase for the hallway.

The Prefect looked incensed, “Tell Viktor the password will be changed when he gets back!”

“He’ll just give us the new one,” Mila called over her shoulder, grinning as the Prefect let out a series of sounds that might have been protests or just some sort of fit.

Yuuri giggled and decided to seize on the opportunity to turn the tables on Mila, “So what about you Miss Babicheva; any love interests I should know about?” He waggled his eyebrows at her, earning one of the most Russian looking expressions he’d ever seen in response.

“Be careful Katsuki, its worth more than your life to know the answer to that question.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh; Mila might act scary, but he couldn’t help but feel that he had made a real friend in the crimson-haired Russian. Viktor’s door opened before they got to it, the teen poking his head out, having obviously heard their laughter. He jumped back though when he saw Mila’s luggage.

“Mila! We’re only going for 2 nights!”

“Shove it Nikiforov. You’re only packing so light because you have an entire closet full of clothes at your place and you know it.” Viktor pretended to look offended but his lips were twitching.

“Alright then, well, Mila, if you wouldn’t mind taking Makkachin through with you, I’ll take Yuuri and your luggage.”

She nodded, barely pausing to pull some Floo Powder out of a small box on the mantle before tossing it into the fire. The flames glowed green and she and Makka stepped into the grate, the poodle looking surprisingly comfortable with the strange actions. Mila secured her hold on the dog before yelling out something in Russian that Yuuri had no chance of remembering, before zipping away into the grate.

Viktor smiled, “Are you ready, Yuuri?”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile; he’d never been more ready for anything in his life. He nodded and the two stepped into the fireplace, Viktor supporting Mila’s large suitcase, his own small travel bag on his shoulder, while Yuuri held onto his duffle and book bag. Viktor reached over and took Yuuri’s arm, “Just in case,” he winked.

Then with those same – oddly more appealing when Viktor spoke them – Russian words, they were swept away to Russia and a chance for Yuuri to see yet another side of Viktor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter this weekend (and it's super late). This chapter required a lot of careful thought, so it took considerably longer than any other chapter to complete. But it's also longer so that's something. The good news is it clarified a lot of things for me for upcoming chapters so we should be back to a double release next weekend.
> 
> So I'm curious how you guys felt about the way this chapter was laid out? This won't be the norm going forward or anything, but it will be occasionally used in the future. There's also a very real chance you'll see Viktor's point of view come back around; I know I only gave you a taste in this chapter.
> 
> In case it isn't clear, Viktor and Otabek's little bickering match is just Viktor being jealous for a minute. Yuuri was staring pretty openly at Otabek when he had his shirt off and both of the other two boys noticed it. Otabek can't help teasing Viktor about it because he knows Viktor doesn't like it.
> 
> For those of you who checked out Yuuri's schedule last week, please note there's been a small change to his class order on Thursdays. I discovered while writing this chapter I needed Viktor's schedule too (I knew I did, but I was being stubborn about doing it - you'd be amazed how long it takes to puzzle it all out), and when I built his schedule, I realized there was no way to fit in Transfiguration with the way Yuuri's schedule was crafted. So, now not only do you get an [updated Yuuri schedule, but Viktor and Mila's ](http://i.imgur.com/yv2kRUi.jpg)too.
> 
> Yuuri's Exhibition #3 is [Radioactive - Imagine Dragons](https://youtu.be/ktvTqknDobU).
> 
> Next week we'll be in Russia where there will be lots of fun hi-jinx with Yurio! Thanks for reading as always, and please leave comments because they make me smile. Questions or catches for any weird typos you might find are also appreciated - I am not perfect but I try to be. See you next week!


	20. How Far You'll Go

When Viktor had told Yuuri his apartment was small, it had put in mind images of a simple 1LDK like those some common in Tokyo. What he hadn’t imagined was the posh interior of a sleek and modern open plan apartment.

True, it was just one room, but the space was so large that the lack of walls hardly seemed to matter. The floors were covered in an ashy sort of wood that blended seamlessly with the modern furniture and brick accents. In addition to the cozy fireplace they stepped out of, there was a large sectional sofa and television complete with gaming systems, a desk and office area with a powerful looking PC, a sleek open kitchen with an island for eating, and tucked away at the far end of the apartment sat a large bed, partially hidden behind a wall giving it a fair amount of privacy despite the lack of a door.

It was all done in woods, blues and grays, giving it a cool, modern feel that left Yuuri feeling like he’d stepped into some strange and foreign world, which, if he was begin honest with himself, he supposed he had.

Makka had already made his way to a large, plush dog bed located near the sofa and was snuggling with what must have been a beloved toy by the way he was greeting it like a long lost friend. Viktor carefully set down Mila’s suitcase and rolled it towards her, “Are you staying here tonight or going home?”

“I’ll go home, but I’m coming over here for dinner. You know Yuri and Georgi are going to want to hang out.”

Viktor nodded and turned to Yuuri, “You can put your things in the bedroom. There’s plenty of room in there so we can share. The couch is nice too, but I have a feeling Yuri might stay over.”

“Oh he definitely will,” Mila smiled. “He’s been texting me all week, his Grandpa’s out of town for a few days so he’s bored and lonely.”

Viktor just chuckled and made his way to the kitchen, checking the fridge, “Looks like the manager stocked my fridge with plenty of food so that’s fine. Now we’d better get going or Yakov will chew me out for ruining your practice.” He turned and smiled at Yuuri, who was still standing there dumbfounded, “Is everything alright, Yuuri?”

“You’re rich.”

“You knew that.”

“I did, but,” he stammered looking around, “this…”

Viktor laughed a bit bitterly, “Truthfully my father got it for me a few years ago, but I took over the lease last year. I’d like to say I hate everything about it since he picked it out, but it suits me. I know it’s a little overwhelming at first, but I promise, it’s really very comfortable.”

He paused and then grinned, “Let me show you the best part.” He tugged on Yuuri’s sleeve, dragging him to the one door in the entire apartment which opened into a well appointed bathroom complete with a large soaking tub. But that wasn’t all, there was also an expansive window positioned along the tub, opening up to a sweeping view of St. Petersburg.

“My skating rink is just there,” he pointed a few streets away. “It takes less than 5 minutes to walk there so I can skate any time I want. Then when I get back I can soak in here and relax.”

“Can I use it?” Yuuri couldn’t help but want to try the large bath; he hadn’t had a proper soak since he left Japan.

“Of course, just as soon as we get back.” Viktor was smiling, happily, noticing how Yuuri seemed to appreciate the room around him.

Yuuri quickly deposited his things in the bedroom, grabbed his skates, and followed Viktor and Mila out of the door, waving goodbye to Makka who seemed quite content, curled up on his spacious bed with his toy clutched to his chest.

There was a chill in the air, but that didn’t stop Yuuri from staring around every which way, trying to take in as much of the sights of St. Petersburg as possible.

“You’ll have to visit us in the summer, Yuuri,” Mila grinned watching his reactions. “There’s a lot more to see than this street after all.”

Viktor agreed, but Yuuri noticed he wasn’t as touchy as he normally was. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he seemed to be more reserved than usual.

“Are you ok?” he whispered.

Viktor blinked at him for a moment before smiling a bit, shoulders visibly relaxing, “Sorry Yuuri. I’m sure you know, but Russia isn’t a friendly place for people like me. This is also my home, so there are people here who know me, and my dad; I just sort of keep my guard up.”

It was so strange. Yuuri didn’t exactly fit-in in his country either, but his home had always been the one place he could be most himself. He was beginning to wonder why Viktor had invited him if he was so uncomfortable here, when they opened the doors to the skating rink and Viktor instantly transformed back into his usual relaxed self, grabbing for Yuuri’s hand and dragging him inside.

“Yakov!” Viktor called out, smiling merrily and waving across the ice, “we’re here! I brought Yuuri!”

“WHAT?!” a harsh scream echoed in the room. “You brought that Japanese Pig here? Why wasn’t I told about this? Wait, how do you even know him Viktor?” Yuri Plisetsky skated up to them looking furious. Yuuri would have been intimidated if not for the fast that the young skater’s fury didn’t seem to make it all the way to his eyes and he was vibrating with excitement as he approached Viktor.

Yuuri was reminded vividly of judgment cat, who might glare at him, but would purr whenever he pet behind the feline’s ears.

“Hello Yuri. I have all the ingredients for borsch at my apartment and that new Zelda game you wanted to play; will you come over tonight?”

All pretence of fury melted away.

“You know,” Mila plopped her elbows onto the barrier looking devious, “it’s going to get confusing, what with there being two Yuris.”

Yuri’s eyes instantly darkened, “Yeah, this pig stole my name! Make him change it.”

“Technically I’m older,” Yuuri countered.

Viktor smirked, “Then that settles it, Yura needs a nickname.”

“I’ve got the perfect thing,” Mila grinned, and Yuuri had the distinct impression she’d been planning this for days, “We’ll call him Yurio.”

“WHAT!? That’s not my name! He should change his! He shouldn’t even be here…”

Yuri was suddenly silenced by Viktor leaning hard into his personal space. There may have been a barrier between them but that didn’t seem to matter as Viktor towered over the smaller skater, “Yuuri is my guest, and he’ll be with me a lot more in the future; so don’t insult him or make him feel unwelcomed, got it, _Yurio_?”

Yurio seemed to shrink a little before narrowing his eyes and nodding. “Good!” Viktor was back to his perky, cheerful self. “Let’s skate Yuuri!”

Soon the three wizards were laced up and on the ice. It was a little chilly between them and Yurio, but soon the earlier disagreement seemed to fade away and they started skating more as a group. Georgi was the last to arrive, greeting Yuuri kindly by complimenting his Free Skate. “When we found out Yurio had lost in Seoul we just had to see who could dethroned our little monster. I have to say, we were all impressed.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but blush as Viktor beamed beside him.

“Viktor!” a bark from the sidelines drew their attention as Yakov finally seemed to have finished up with the pair of ice dancers he’d been working with when they arrived.

“Yakov!” Viktor skated over and hugged his coach, which actually looked a bit awkward. “This is Yuuri, but you’ve met him, da?”

Yakov nodded, “Nice to see you again. I hope your skating has improved since we last met if you plan to keep beating our Yuratchka.”

Yuuri gulped, “I think so. I did well through the summer competitions. Unfortunately I probably won’t have many chances to skate against Yurio this season.”

To his surprise Yakov chuckled, “And you shouldn’t be going to the same school as our Viktor and Mila either, but you are, so who’s to say what might happen this season. With both of you aiming for Worlds Viktor might have to actually try this year.”

“Yakov!” Viktor looked offended, “I’ll have you know I planned to try very hard this year.”

“Then why haven’t you finished your warm-up yet?”

Viktor squeaked cutely, managing a perfectly sheepish look.

Practice that night wasn’t exceptionally long, each skater working separately, Viktor leading by pointing out other skater’s flaws when Yakov was busy. Georgi was especially kind, talking at length with Yuuri about how they approached their skating, his style more closely matching Yuuri’s own than Viktor’s.

Yurio it seemed had certainly taken the loss in Seoul to heart, his skating looking more beautiful than ever, making Yuuri seriously wonder if the young Russian might possess the ability to dethrone Viktor sooner than anyone believed.

Yuuri also had the distinct impression Yurio was watching him; he kept catching the younger teen sneaking looks at him as he skated, or even when he just stood at the side to drink some water.

“I think he’s just curious,” Viktor commented when Yuuri pointed this out. “Of all the skaters here I think Yurio knows me best. I’ve never brought any classmates around before, so I think he’s caught in-between curiosity and jealousy. He’s always wanted to go to school with me.”

Yuuri nodded, he’d gone through similar issues with Yuuko and Nishigori who couldn’t understand why Yuuri suddenly transferred to a private school, and why there was no way they could get into it.

It didn’t make Yurio’s frequent stares any more comfortable.

At 10’o’clock, Yakov called an end to practice and reminded them to all be back to the rink by 8, dismissing the band of skaters for the night so they could all head to Viktor’s apartment.

True to his word, Viktor really could make borsch, and as soon as they were back at the apartment he and Georgi headed to the kitchen and began preparing food. Mila was on the computer browsing through YouTube and Yurio was sunk deep into the couch cushions playing a video game. Despite his earlier venom, he had insisted Yuuri sit with him and help him solve the puzzles he was encountering. Makkachin was laying against Yuuri’s legs, reminding Yuuri keenly of Vicchan.

“Yuuri,” Mila called after a while, the smell of cooking thick in the air, dinner clearly nearly completed. “Did you see Viktor’s Exhibition after Worlds?”

Yuuri nodded. Viktor’s Worlds Exhibition had been heartbreakingly beautiful. He had only seen a live stream and was still sad he couldn’t have stayed another day to see it in person, though he didn’t know if he would have survived the raw emotions that had seemed to sweep over everyone at the stadium when it had been performed live.

“This is the singer; Viktor’s been a fan for ages and is using her music again for Exhibitions this fall.”

“Really?”

“Mila!” Viktor was pouting in the kitchen, “Don’t spoil all of my secrets.”

Mila laughed and pressed play on the music video and Yuuri instantly recognized the soulful voice. “So your Exhibition will be sad again?” That had probably come out wrong.

Viktor shrugged, “Yes and no. I guess it depends how you interpret it.”

Yuuri suppose he was right. There was a certain sadness to his short program, but all of his music seemed to exist in a place between emotions, sadness and joy, swirling together to create a complicated flow of emotion. Until now his programs had always been light and sweet, and Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder what had caused the change. Viktor could say he just wanted to surprise people all he wanted, but Yuuri wasn’t buying it. Something had to have caused this turmoil.

Mila was watching another video now, the singer was different, but there was something similar in the way her voice translated the cover she was crooning. “You like covers too, don’t you Yuuri?” Mila asked.

Yuuri nodded, “Celestino listens to American music so Phichit and I hear a lot of it. I always like hearing how other people interpret the music. It reminds me of skating. When I create a program to a song, it’s different than what anyone else would do, so it speaks to me.”

Mila grinned, “I really like your Free Skate.” She frowned then, “your short program seems a bit weak compared to that.”

Yuuri made a face, “It’s probably because I didn’t have much of a hand in its creation. I don’t dislike it, but it just doesn’t have as much me in it.”

“You should change it after Nationals.”

“I don’t know if I’ll have time. Celestino thinks I’ll crash and burn at Worlds.”

Mila’s eyebrow raised, “Why?”

“My nerves…”

“That’s stupid,” Yurio grumbled from the couch, “you beat me; you can’t let your own head beat you. I want a fair rematch. Oi Mila, turn this up, I like this song.”

The video had been a compellation of covers of the same song and after the first had ended a heavy version of the song had begun, which seemed to have Yurio’s approval. When the song ended Mila restarted the video, with Yurio arguing she should skip the first version and stick to the heavy option. He was soon on the computer clicking through Viktor’s iTunes account, “Viktor! Give me your iTunes password!”

“Use your own, Yura.” Viktor rolled his eyes.

“I don’t have any more money this month.” He paused before whispering, “Grandpa hasn’t been feeling well, I didn’t want to ask for any more.”

Viktor’s face instantly softened and he walked over to the computer typing exceptionally fast for a wizard. “Here you go, now don’t go crazy, and let me hear that first version of the song.”

“Ugh,” Yurio groaned, “what’s with you and this sappy, depressing mood you’ve been in since Europeans?”

Viktor gave Yurio a look that Yuuri couldn’t read, but obviously Yurio understood because he backed down, muttering, “Oh, that.”

Yuuri wondered what had happened but didn’t feel comfortable asking. It seemed Mila and Georgi were equally in the dark. The moment passed however with Yurio restarting the video and going back to browsing iTunes.

As the pretty music played, Yuuri couldn’t help but hum along, curling deeper into the couch cushions. It was really comfortable. He’d heard the original of the song so he couldn’t help but quietly let the words slip out of his lips while he rested.

“Shut up pig, you’re singing it wrong.” Yurio sneered.

Yuuri snapped his mouth shut, blushing, “Oh, sorry…”

Yuuri heard a smack as Viktor came up behind Yurio smacking him on the back of the head. It was only slightly harder than a playful slap, but it was enough to get Yurio’s attention and have him turning and snapping at Viktor in fast, angry Russian. Viktor barked back at him equally angry before plopping down next to Yuuri with two plates balanced in one hand.

“Dinner’s ready, you all can get your own. Don’t give in to them Georgi.” Georgi nodded and grabbed his own plate settling in at the counter. Mila popped up and went to get some food while Yurio grumbled, slowly (but eagerly) making his way to the kitchen.

Viktor smiled and handed Yuuri one of the plates, “I hope you like it.”

Yuuri took a tentative bite, eyes widening in delight. It was delicious and he said as much to a grinning Viktor who took his own bite as they ate mostly in silence. Yuuri had his knees tucked up to his chest as he ate, and found himself, maybe subconsciously, leaning into Viktor a bit on the couch. He really didn’t want to move.

He felt the couch dip on his other side as Yurio sat next to him, spoon still in his mouth, plate balanced on his knees, controller in hand as he started playing his game again. Viktor scoffed and grabbed the plate from Yurio’s knees and set it on the table, getting up to get a drink from the kitchen.

“Viktor says I shouldn’t call you pig anymore.”

Yuuri looked at the teen, “Oh, yeah, that would be nice.”

The blonde blushed a bit, “I’m not calling you by my name, it’s weird. You need a nickname.” He paused, narrowing his eyes, “You have a pet or something?”

“I have a poodle.”

“What’s its name?”

“Vicchan.” Yuuri flushed a bit.

Yuri screwed up his face, “No way, sounds too much like Viktor. What about your favorite food? Better not be something dumb like Pocky.”

“Oh I know what it is!” Mila chimed in. “It’s Katsudon!”

Yuri looked confused, “What’s that?”

“It’s pork cutlets with scrambled eggs over rice. It’s really good.” Yuuri smiled thinking of the delicious food.

Yurio snickered, “You realize it’s still pig, Katsudon.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but grin and elbow the teen, pointing out a treasure chest the Russian had missed.

 

Yuuri woke to the sound of his alarm Saturday morning. He had dreamt again, nothing new, just him in the dance studio and that feeling, like he was being watched. But he wasn’t at Hogwarts, so maybe it wasn’t the school’s magic causing them. He yawned, deciding to file that thought away from later.

He’d fallen asleep later than was probably wise after playing the game with Yurio late into the night. Viktor had already been asleep when he’d slipped into the bed.

Now the bed was empty, Viktor’s side cool to the touch. Yuuri stumbled sleepily into the living room where Yurio was fast asleep on the couch, and Viktor was sitting at the desk, working on his computer, a pair of glasses Yuuri had never seen before propped on his nose, Makkachin asleep at his feet.

“Ohayou,” he whispered, catching Viktor’s attention. His heart grew a bit warm at the smile that spread across Viktor’s face as Yuuri moved close, careful not to disturb Makka. “What are you working on?”

Viktor sighed, pulling off his glasses, “Settling in on my Exhibition. I like to switch it up pretty often to keep things interesting since my competition programs don’t change. I have two programs ready for the fall already but, I don’t know, I am thinking I might want to do something different then I have planned for the Grand Prix Final. It’s just a feeling I’m getting. I woke up a while ago and just had that thought so I wanted to write it all down. I contacted someone about the music too.” Most of his notes were in Russian so Yuuri couldn’t make heads or tails of them, but there were some English lyrics.

“You’re commissioning another song?”

Viktor nodded, he clicked on a tab on his computer where he had music editing software open, “I’ve always just done better with music made just for me, something I’ve had a hand in making. If there aren’t lyrics I might suggest a melody, or do the editing myself. It makes me more comfortable I suppose. This new one is going to be a cover like the others, but I think I’ll change the lyrics a bit, I just have this feeling that I…I don’t know, I can’t express it now, but I feel like I might want to?” He shrugged.

Yuuri nodded, understanding that feeling. “That skate I did the other day isn’t one of my official Exhibitions. I don’t think I’d be comfortable performing it publically, but I wrote it because I want to be that brave; I want to feel strong enough that I can share it.”

Viktor’s eyes widened slightly, “Why did you decide to show the club? How did you know you were ready?”

“I didn’t know, I just…I wanted to share it with all of you at that moment, I thought everyone would like it.”

“They did, trust me. You should show that program off more. It’s amazing.” Viktor pause and looked over at the couch, “How late was he up?”

Yuuri shrugged, inwardly appreciating the change of subject, “I fell asleep just after midnight, and he was still going strong by then.”

Viktor smiled indulgently before looking serious, “You should know, he doesn’t know what I am, but he knows there’s something not right about me. He probably suspects you too now, so be careful.”

“How does he…?”

“Well besides the time I saved his life, he saw something I couldn’t explain to him.”

“What?”

Viktor shook his head, obviously not wanting to get into it, “He’s backed off asking me what happened because I asked him to, but at some point he’s going to push. I don’t know what I’ll do then. I don’t want to modify his memory, it seems somehow…”

Yuuri understood. Memory modifying charms served a purpose, but to use one on a friend who was trusting you felt underhanded somehow.

Yuuri looked back over at the desk, searching for a different topic. He knew he should be getting ready, but there was something about this moment, he wanted to extend it. “I didn’t know you wore glasses.”

“Only for the computer, at least for now. The ice, you know, my eyesight is a little weak. The computer can aggravate it.”

Yuuri nodded, his eyes had always sucked and skating hadn’t helped. He didn’t _need_ contacts on the ice per say, but that didn’t mean he could see any measure of detail without them.

There was a stirring from the couch as a lump of blankets with a blonde head slowly sat up, turning towards them and yawning sleepily, “Do you have coffee, Viktor?”

“Yura, you’re 15.”

“So? I saw you drinking coffee when you were 13 so don’t try and be a good example now.”

Viktor smirked, “Fair enough. Yuuri, do you want tea?”

Yuuri nodded, wondering how Viktor knew. Viktor stood and made for the kitchen, Makka following him, tail wagging as Viktor pull out some fruit and breakfast bars (and a treat for Makka) before turning on the kettle and coffee pot. Yuuri felt a bit bad making Viktor prepare two different drinks, but couldn’t help but notice the soft smile on Viktor’s lips as he quietly worked, looking highly content in the domesticity of the moment.

 

Before long they were at the rink. They brought Makkachin with them that morning since they would be gone for a considerably longer time, and Viktor hated to leave the dog for more than a few hours without someone to care for the rambunctious poodle. They seemed to be the first to arrive, but Viktor had a key, letting them in to stretch and warm-up. Yuuri couldn’t help but hurry through the motions, eager to step onto the pristine ice.

The others filtered in over the next several minutes; each waving their greetings, stopping to greet Makka who looked quite at home on the large dog bed near the benches, until finally Yakov arrived, calling Viktor and Yuuri over to the barrier. “Yuuri, we’re going to work on jumps later, so in the meantime would you mind working with Yuri and helping him with his step sequences?”

“Oh,” Yuuri shuddered for a moment; he hadn’t realized Yakov was actually going to coach him. He was excited at the prospect of having another coach look over his skating. “Sure, I’d be happy to.”

Yakov nodded, “He’s competitive, so if you see something he’s doing wrong, just show him how you do it. It’ll irritate him, but he’ll try and fix it. He can do a Quad Toe Loop and a Quad Salchow, so if you’re having any trouble with those, or want to try a more difficult approach, he can help you with that.”

He turned and looked at Viktor, “Are you ready?”

The question seemed to have a much deeper meaning than the words hinted at.

Viktor smiled, it wasn’t his massive cheerful smile, but there was something oddly peaceful about it, “Yes.”

Yakov nodded, “I got your email about your exhibitions. Normally I’d lecture you, but I trust you know what you’re doing.”

Viktor nodded, speaking in quiet Russian, his eyes darting to Yuuri. Yakov nodded, glancing at Yuuri before replying in Russian.

“I won’t let you down,” Viktor whispered. His eyes were focused on Yakov, but Yuuri had the distinct impression Viktor was somehow talking to him also.

Yakov shook his head, the tiniest of smiles tugging at the edges of his mouth, “Who knew you’d grow up to be so serious.”

Viktor grinned and winked, “I know, it’ll surprise people right?”

Yakov laughed, it might have also been a cough, it was hard to tell; Yuuri wondered if the coach had much experience laughing. “I expect you to work hard this fall. Anything less than gold and I won’t let you have your way next season.”

Viktor laughed and hugged his coach, “I’ll get Gold Yakov, don’t worry. I’ll get every Gold, and Yuuri will get the World’s Silver.” Yuuri blushed.

Yakov scoffed, “Yura won’t like you saying that.”

Viktor grinned mischievously, “Yurio can have Bronze.”

“I HEARD THAT YOU ASSHOLE!”

They separated then and began working on their individual programs, Yuuri and Yurio working closely together for quite a while, going back and forth between elements as they shared their own techniques. Yuuri had to admit, it was pretty fun.

At one point Yuuri noticed Viktor was missing. He searched around the room, trying not to look too panicked. Yes, Mila was his friend also, but he somehow felt like an intruder without Viktor there.

“Relax Katsudon,” Yurio nudged him, “he’s just in with Dr. Petrov. He’ll be done soon.”

Yuuri stared curiously, “A doctor? Why?”

Yurio glared, “You don’t get check-ups before the season?”

“Oh, yeah, I mean, I’ve never participated in a season but I saw a doctor before starting school. I get it.”

Yurio rolled his eyes, “Viktor’s the top skater in the world, he has to stay at his peak both physically and mentally, Dr. Petrov helps with that.”

“You make it sound like he’s some medical experiment.”

Yurio laughed but quickly schooled his features back into his customary scowl, “Don’t be stupid. It’s just a check-up. All of us have them. They’re probably just talking for a bit longer since he’s excited about school. He’s been giddy all summer.” He paused, “Is your school really that great?”

Yuuri wasn’t sure how to reply; Yurio could never go to Hogwarts and was probably frustrated seeing so many other skaters going to a place he could never go and not knowing why. “I never felt comfortable at my school, I think there are some of us who just don’t fit right in the world, and I’m one of them, Viktor too. This new school we are going to, it’s different. I feel like we’re not outcasts, like we belong. They make me feel at home there, but also allow me the freedom to come here so I can experience more. That’s something really important to me and to Viktor. I don’t think either of us would be satisfied being forced into a box like that.”

Yurio seemed thoughtful for a minute. “Katsudon, do you know Viktor’s Grand Prix Qualifier assignments?”

Yuuri nodded, “Skate Canada and Trophee de France.”

“So you also know that the Rostelcom Cup is the same weekend.”

“Yes, what does…”

“Georgi and I are both scheduled there. And Yakov’s coming with us.”

Understanding dawned on Yuuri, “So Viktor will be at his final qualifier alone?”

Yurio nodded, “I wouldn’t ask but you seem close to him. Is your coach busy? Viktor would never say anything but he needs someone, Chris won’t even be there so there’s no one else he can ask.”

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri felt his heart sinking rapidly, watching the boy’s face fall, “My regional qualifier for Nationals is that weekend. My coach and I will be in Japan.” His voice fell to a whisper. Viktor was strong, the best skater in the world, but not having any support at a major competition was unimaginable. He couldn’t even ask Minako since she was sure to go to his competition.

Yurio sighed, “It’s ok, I just was hoping…”

Yuuri nodded, “I get it. I’m sorry, I wish I knew more skaters; then maybe I could ask someone else, but I’m just not close enough to anyone.”

Yurio just shook his head and skated off, leaving Yuuri feeling terrible. The sense of sadness held over him until he felt a warm presence at his shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much over it, Yuuri,” Mila hugged him from behind. “I’ll go with him so he’s not alone.”

Yuuri perked up at this, turning to look at Mila, “You will?”

“Sure, my practice won’t be that productive with Yakov gone anyways. I’ll just make Viktor pay me back by making him come to Skate America with me.”

“Really?” Viktor suddenly skated up to them, obviously catching the tail end of their conversation, “You want me to come to Skate America with you Mila?”

“Yup, and in exchange I’m coming to France with you.”

Viktor’s eyes widened, “You will?”

“Yup, Yuuri wanted to go but he has his Regional. I can’t let you go off with no support, we’re teammates after all.”

Viktor beamed and hugged her, “Thanks Mila. But Skate America! It’s in St. Louis this year and I hear they have excellent pizza! I was so jealous of you when I saw the assignments.”

“Isn’t it Chicago that has the best pizza?” Yuuri asked.

Viktor shrugged, “I’ve had it, not my thing, but I hear St. Louis style is delicious. We can get some, right?”

Mila just laughed and patted Viktor’s head, “Yes yes, just make sure you bring me back Maple cookies from Canada.”

Viktor gave her a thumbs up. Mila rolled her eyes and turned to Yuuri, “Text him while he’s in Canada and remind him, will you?”

Yuuri giggled, nodding, feeling a bit jealous now that he couldn’t go with them to eat pizza and watch Mila skate. He wanted to watch all of Viktor’s teammates skate, he’d never felt so welcomed even though he was a stranger. He wondered what it would be like if he and Phichit could skate here; it was hard to imagine anything more fun.

“Line Up!” Yakov suddenly barked from the edge of the rink.

Viktor grabbed Yuuri’s hand, a big grin on his face as he pulled Yuuri into line behind Yuri and Georgi; Mila and some of the other girls and ice dancers were on the other adjoining rink. “Just follow along,” Viktor whispered.

“Remember, watch your landings. It’s ok to fail but don’t get hurt. Practice safe falls. Now, Toe Loop!” Yakov barked.

Yuri began to skate quickly getting up to speed before executing a perfect Toe Loop, even raising one arm above his head.

“Good Yura, Nice job challenging yourself there. You almost lost your center but you pulled it together. Next.” On the other ice one of the girls had done a triple, earning her high praise from Yakov.

Georgi completed his own Toe Loop. He looked like he wanted to raise an arm, but pulled it back at the last second.

Yakov nodded, “Good decision making. Next.”

Mila made a triple on the other ice with a tricky entry, barely missing the landing, her teammates clapped for her nonetheless.

Then Viktor began to skate, faster than anyone else. He took off and raised both arms in the air and twirled in a massive Quad Toe Loop, coming down smoothly, moving right into a Triple Flip.

“Good Viktor, next time change up the entry to be more difficult, always push yourself. Now, Yuuri, show us your best Quad Toe Loop.”

Yuuri nodded and began to skate. This was a lot of pressure, but he took his time, building his speed. It was clear the purpose of this exercise was challenging yourself. Yuuri’s strength was his stamina, so now was the time to show that.

He moved into the jump, letting his body move through his familiar jump, immediately into the Triple Flip that was so natural to him, but this time he carried more speed, carried more strength and immediately launched into a Double Loop, landing the third jump cleanly.

Viktor cheered and Yakov nodded, “Good Yuuri, that’s something you can do in competitions when you’re feeling good. Adding an extra jump to your combinations will help you get more points. Well done.”

Yuuri smiled skating back behind Viktor who smiled at him.

“Now, Salchow!”

Yuri began to skate, again he raised an arm, but this time his landing was a bit shaky.

“That’s alright Yuri, you almost had it, keep working. Your center was a little off. Next.” The skaters were moving so fast now Yuuri could only focus on those on his own rink. He distantly hear Mila cheer after she landed her Triple Salchow.

Georgi approached the jump. He didn’t add anything special, just executed the jump. It was clean, but only just. Yuuri could tell he had barely held his edge on the landing. Yakov nodded, “Well done. Next, Viktor.”

Viktor took off, completing the jump with relative ease, both arms raised.”

Yakov scoffed, “Again, you’re showing off. Challenge yourself Vitya.”

Viktor kept moving, making another pass before throwing himself into the jump again, both arms raised, then immediately into a Triple Toe Loop with one arm raised. He nearly touched down on the second jump.

“Better, next.”

Yuuri began to skate. Seeing Viktor nearly fail made him feel a bit more confident. He wouldn’t be yelled at for failing, only for failing to try. He moved into the Salchow, spinning, but felt he was going a bit too fast, he wouldn’t manage a clean landing unless he channeled the spin somehow. He touched down and didn’t even left half a second pass before he launched into a double Toe Loop. It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but he landed the elements without touching down.

“Excellent Yuuri, good decision making. Yura, Lutz.”

And so they went on, one after another, jump after jump. Yuri and Georgi weren’t able to come close on any of the other jumps, Georgi under rotating almost all of them, while Yuri fluctuated in his errors. Viktor nearly managed the Lutz, touching a hand down right at the end, cursing slightly as he did, Yakov encouraging him. He nailed the flip of course, even managing to raise his arms. His Loop landed but he ended up two footing the landing.

Yuuri was nervous at first, and didn’t even come close to landing his Lutz, but just before he attempted his Flip, Viktor came over and hugged him, which calmed him a lot. He didn’t manage to land it, but he had enough rotations and landed on the proper foot before he came down. He managed the rotations on the Loop, but landed hard. Still it was fun.

“Good work, Yuuri. You should focus on the Flip and Loop in practice on your own. Either one could be your next Quad before you know it. Now, Yura. Axel.”

Yuuri looked up, “What? But that’s impossible.”

“Everyone thought any Quad was impossible till someone landed one,” Viktor whispered with a smile.

It went about as well as you could imagine, with skater after skater hopelessly under rotating the jump, coming down hard, but safely, as they did.

“Good job!” Yakov called as Viktor picked himself up after skidding across the ice. “Go ahead Yuuri. Remember, focus on safety.”

“You can do it Yuuri,” Viktor called.

“Your Axel is pretty good,” Yuri muttered.

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh as he began to skate. This wasn’t going to work, so why not have fun, he had always liked axels. He didn’t know why it always felt so good, but it did. He built his speed and launched into the jump. He didn’t land it, naturally, but yet there was a strange noise as he picked himself up off the ice.

“That was enough rotations!” Viktor was shouting. “Yakov! That was enough right?”

Yuri was gaping at him, muttering in Russian. Georgi was just clapping, looking impressed. Yuuri turned and looked at Yakov who was staring at him. He seemed to be thinking, “I think that’ll be your jump Yuuri. I’m not saying don’t work on the others, you’re still probably _years_ away from pulling off a jump that crazy in competitions, you’re still growing after all, but you have the potential. Focus on making your Triples bigger for now.” He smiled for just a moment. “I’ll be sure to let Celestino know, I’m sure he’ll be happy.”

Practice carried on as usual from there, each of the skaters working on their own programs, Yakov focused on his other skaters, including Mila for most of the rest of the time. Yuri was soon asking Yuuri to show him some more of his spins, it seemed the two of them were the only ones flexible enough to pull off the layback spin, and even though it was usually reserved for women, Yuuri thought it was a very attractive spin that could set the two of them apart from other men.

“It’s a nice juxtaposition between your huge Salchow’s into such a feminine spin. It’ll make you stand out, Yuri, you should do it.”

“Yeah but if you do it too they’ll just compare us even more.”

“So? What’s worse, being compared to me or Viktor?’

“Hey!” Viktor pouted from across the ice, earning him a stern shout from Yakov and a confused bark from Makka who’d been woken up from his nap by his master’s sudden yelp.

“Hmm, I’ll have to get back to you on that,” Yuri muttered, but he was grinning so Yuuri had a feeling he didn’t mind.

After a while Yakov called out to one of the youngest girl skaters telling her it was her turn. Yuri groaned, and Yuuri watched with curiosity as Viktor skated up to them. “For the last bit of practice Yakov lets us free skate and just play around a bit trying new things, and he rotates who gets to pick the music.”

“And Inna always picks fucking Disney music.” Yuri spit.

“I like Disney music,” Yuuri replied. “It’s fun and happy.”

Viktor smiled, “Yeah Yurio, be nice to Inna. She’s only 9, I’m sure her musical tastes will get much worse. Remember when all Mila wanted to listen to was Evanescence?”

Mila shouted at them in Russian from across the ice. Yuri made gagging noises, “Well, as long as she doesn’t play fucking ‘Let It Go.’”

Just then the chords of the aforementioned song began to play. Yuuri and Viktor burst out laughing as Yuri sank down onto the ice groaning.

“Skate with me Yuri,” Viktor called softly. Laughing, Yuuri followed him, easily falling into some strange approximation of a pair skate, both jumping as the familiar chorus began, laughing as they skated enthusiastically to the music. Inna was giggling and soon Viktor skater over to her and pulled her along with him, encouraging her to do her best jumps. Yuuri couldn’t help but smile seeing the girl so happy.

“Does she speak English,” Yuuri asked Viktor. He shook his head, “I can translate if you want.”

“Can you just ask her if she has the song from the latest movie? I really like that one.”

Viktor grinned and asked. Inna began nodding eagerly before skating over to her phone to turn on the song. Yuuri smiled and made his way to center ice, “Tell her this is for her.” He called back to Viktor.

It was the Russian version, but the beat was the same, so Yuuri began to skate. It was nothing all that complicated, but he just let himself have fun, focusing on making a program a little girl might like.

He kept his jumps small, but loaded his program with lots of spins and bends, as well as jump combos, making sure to turn towards the girl whenever possible, emoting the feelings of the song as much as he could, much to her delight. As the last chorus began, the other skaters, with a reluctant Yuri in their number, began singing along with the chorus. Inna was beside herself with excitement by the time the song was over.

Viktor skated over and hugged Yuuri, “I think you have a new fan,” he grinned as Inna came barreling into them. Yuuri didn’t need a translator to know she was saying thank you. He hugged her and offered to help her with her spins if she wanted, and ended up spending the rest of the free skate helping her with some of her basics, despite the language barrier.

By the end of the free skate period the Russian skaters were all singing along with the catchy tunes. Viktor did a slightly off-tune rendition of ‘Part of Your World,’ while Mila did an expressive take on ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’ with Yuri chasing after her angrily for butchering his favorite song.

All too soon, Yakov called an end to practice, and everyone was disappointed to get off the ice, laughing together as they did so.

 

Yuuri had been sure the other skaters would come back to Viktor’s apartment that night, but he was surprised when they each declared they had other plans with their families. As he and Viktor entered the apartment alone, Yuuri couldn’t help the ball of nerves that suddenly formed in his throat.

“I have a confession,” Viktor spoke as they walked in the door. “The truth is I was showing off a bit last night. Borsch is just about the only thing I can cook, and Georgi is way better at it than I am; so is it ok if we order out?”

Yuuri couldn’t help the sigh of relief that puffed out. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

“Is pizza alright? I’m going to be stuck in ‘my body is a temple’ mode for the next 8 months and I kind of want to have one last splurge.”

“Didn’t you just say today you were going to get pizza in America?”

Viktor winked.

Since it was still early (at least to their time confused bodies) they spent a few hours doing homework, playing with Makkachin, and Yuuri even had a chance to try-out Viktor’s glorious bathtub.

He soaked for several minutes, enjoying the warmth and silence, and yet there was something missing. Once he’d finished his bath and changed into his sleep clothes he rejoined Viktor in the living room.

“I was getting hungry so I ordered the pizza. How was it? Truthfully I don’t use it enough.”

“It was good,” Yuuri paused and Viktor looked at him curiously. “Can I say something weird?”

Viktor chuckled, “Of course.”

“I usually used the Onsen at home after hours so I was normally alone, but, it felt really weird having a friend with me, but not with me.” He blushed, that sounded so weird.

“Hmm, I could join you next time it’s big enough.”

Yuuri’s face went red, “No no no! That’s not what I meant, uh…”

“Or I could just visit your family’s Onsen and we could use it together.”

Yuuri felt both relieved and slightly panicked at that thought for a myriad of complicated reasons, but if he had to go one way or the other, “That would be great. Not just for the Onsen, but just, you know, to hang out. I could show you around.”

Viktor beamed, “Then by summer at the latest I’ll come. Maybe after worlds? It would be a nice treat after a long season. Though I suppose we’ll have school to be attending.”

Yuuri simply nodded; anytime Viktor wanted to come was fine with him. Anytime spent together was fine with him.

The pizza arrived shortly after and they plopped onto the couch, eating the greasy slices while watching a movie Viktor had turned on. Admittedly Yuuri wasn’t paying any attention to the movie because Viktor was telling him funny stories and making him laugh so hard he could barely find time to eat.

Once the pizza was gone, they found themselves sitting just a bit closer on the couch, still chatting, Yuuri telling some of his own stories while they scrolled through the photos they’d taken during practice that day.

“Oh, we should send this one to everyone!” Yuuri leaned towards Viktor showing him the group shot of all the skaters together. Viktor had his arm slung around Yuuri, Mila was doing a cute pose that reminded Yuuri of a cartoon character, Yurio was scowling but had been caught with a small smirk on his lips, and Inna was all smiles while Georgi posed like a prince in front of her. It was really cute.

“Do it! Include me too, I want that one.”

Yuuri grinned, “I’ll add my friend Phichit too. Do you want to add Yurio? We’ll have to figure out a way to warn the others not to talk about wizard stuff first, of course.”

Yuuri peered up at Viktor who was staring at him with a curious look on his face.

Yuuri felt his nerves tighten within him, “Did I say something wrong?”

Viktor blinked hard, “No, I just…I’ve never had another wizard ask to include my Muggle friends in anything. Beks always wanted to meet them but never had a chance.”

Yuuri smiled and scrolled through his photos again until he found the photo Mila had taken. Yuuri and Yurio had been testing their flexibility and had both been doing I-spins, and had asked Mila to take pictures so they could check their posture. In one of the photos she’d happened to catch Viktor in the background mid quad, perfectly framed between the two spins. It was a pretty amazing shot.

 “This one,” Yuuri smiled as he showed Viktor the amazing photo. “We’ll send it to Phichit, Otabek and Yurio. Phichit hangs out with my Muggle friends all the time, plus he’s really nice. Then Otabek can ‘meet’ one of your Muggle friends. Plus it’s all guys so it’ll be more casual. We can add more people later if you want.”

Viktor nodded as Yuuri selected the photo and the contacts.

**Yuuri:** Look at this amazing shot!

It took only a minute for replies to ping in.

**Yurio:** My leg is straighter.

**Phichit:** OMG Yuuri!

**Yuuri:** Shouldn’t you be sleeping, Phichit?

**Phichit:** Morning practice!

**Otabek:** I don’t know anything about skating, but that looks crazy cool.

**Viktor:** I know right? Those two are framing me perfectly.

**Yurio:** Shut up old man.

**Viktor:** (;_;)

**Otabek:** I’m guessing this is the feisty blond with a bad attitude?

**Viktor:** Yup, that’s Yurio, the Russian Ice Kitten

**Yurio:** FUCK YOU ヽ(ｏ`皿′ｏ)ﾉ

**Phichit:** Ah I can feel the love all the way from here

**Viktor:** Phichit! I bet you have lots of pictures of Yuuri!

**Phichit:** I do (^_-)

**Yuuri:** No Phichit

**Phichit:** Oops it slipped

A photo popped up of a 12 year old Yuuri, dancing at Minako’s studio, posing fairly similarly to how he looked in the photo they’d sent. It wasn’t bad, but still, Yuuri was embarrassed, he’d had a little more pudge back then.

“Yuuri!” Viktor pounced on him, “you’re so cute! I need more!”

Soon there was no stopping him as Viktor was begging Phichit for more, and bribing him with photos of a younger Yurio, who was threatening to come over and murder Viktor in his sleep. Otabek responded in kind with some younger photos of Viktor including…

**Phichit:** omg, Viktor…what do you have on your head???

**Viktor:** How could you Beks?!?!?

**Otabek:** What? It was a very proud day for you ;)

“What does that mean?” Yuuri asked, looking down at the picture of Viktor, clearly in his Durmstrang uniform, though fortunately not the robes, with a large fluffy hat on his head. Viktor was squashing his face into a pillow so Yuuri was forced to look back to the group chat.

**Otabek:** After we take our 5 th year exams they have a special ceremony to end the year. That hat is reserved only for the top student.

**Phichit:** Please tell me he got to keep the hat

**Otabek:** he did

**Yurio:** Omg, Katsudon, find that hat!

**Viktor:** Too late I burned it

Viktor was still under a pillow, but Yuuri could see his ears were bright red.

“It’s kind of cute…”

“Liar, it’s so stupid looking. I’m getting Beks back for this.” He was tapping his phone quickly before sending a picture of Otabek who clearly had a broken nose.

**Otabek:** Viktor…I told you to delete that

**Viktor:** I have worse.

**Otabek:** Fuck

**Phichit:** Damn, what happened to you?

There was a pause, Yuuri knew based on the shirt Otabek was wearing it was a Quidditch injury, but with Yurio on the chat they couldn’t say that.

**Otabek:** Rugby

Viktor snorted.

**Yurio:** Damn, that’s kind of cool.

“What seriously?” Viktor scoffed, “he thinks that’s cool?”

**Yuuri:** Otabek is a pretty badass Rugby player. Wait, you had try-outs today, how’d they go?

**Otabek:** No problem d(-_☆)

**Otabek:** Jo made his team too.

**Yuuri:** (/◕ヮ◕)/

**Viktor:** Grats man

**Yurio:** Viktor, bring me to one of these matches

**Phichit:** Me too!

Yuuri looked at Viktor, wondering how he’d handle this. But Viktor didn’t look bothered as he typed.

**Viktor:** Maybe. Beks has to come see me skate first, he was supposed to come to Worlds but he ditched me.

**Otabek:** Not my fault

**Viktor:** I know. Come to the GPF?

Otabek: Of course

**Viktor:** Bring Yuuri with you?

**Otabek:** Sure

**Phichit:** Me too!

**Otabek:** Sorry, only room for one on my motorcycle

**Yurio:** You have a motorcycle?

**Otabek:** Yep

**Yurio:** cool

“Does he really have a motorcycle?”

“Nope,” Viktor grinned, “but his normal pick-up line involves a broom. Guess he’ll just have to learn.”

“Wait you mean he…?”

Viktor shrugged, “He’s only ever dated girls, but he’s never told me one way or the other if that’s exclusive for him.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but grin, tapping quickly on his phone as he sent the best group photo he hadn’t gotten around to sending earlier. He had a feeling Otabek would like that picture of Yurio, if he was really interested in him that is.

**Phichit:** Aw you’re all so cute!

**Otabek:** Agreed

**Viktor:** (ノ▽〃)

**Viktor:** We should sleep though, you too Yurio.

**Yurio:** That’s not my name!

**Phichit:** Wait, then what is your name?

**Yurio:** Yuri

**Otabek:** Two Yuris? That’s confusing.

**Yurio:** That’s why he should change his name!

**Phichit:** But Yuuri’s older and has more Us

**Viktor:** And he’s cuter

Yuuri nearly fell off the couch. “Viktor!”

Viktor just grinned at him, “It’s true.”

Suddenly Yuuri’s phone dinged, notifying him of a new text message from Phichit, outside of their group chat.

**Phichit:** You look really happy. :)

Yuuri paused, reading the message, wondering how to respond before deciding on the truth.

**Yuuri:** I am.

 

Yuuri was secretly glad he was heading back to Hogwarts when he woke on Sunday morning. He had had more fun this weekend then he could have imagined, and he felt even closer to Viktor and Mila, not to mention Yurio and Georgi, but all the social interaction on top of the tough practices were leaving him drained. He was looking forward to some quiet time back at Hogwarts. Well, as quiet as things ever got at Hogwarts.

He stretched in bed, thinking about getting up. The sky was still grey, the sun having not yet broken over the horizon.

A soft whimper grabbed his attention.

Viktor was tangled in the sheets, face tight with pain? Worry? He was whimpering, sweat on his brow.

“Viktor,” Yuuri called softly, shaking the teen’s shoulder, “Viktor, wake up!”

Viktor jumped, eyes flying open. He scuttled back in the bed, slamming against the wall painfully, his eyes unfocused, seeing something that clearly had him terrified.

“Viktor, wake up! It’s ok, it’s me, Yuuri, I’m here!”

“Yuuri…” Suddenly Viktor’s eyes seemed to really open.

“It was just a dream,” Yuuri whispered.

Viktor leaned forward, thumping his head against Yuuri’s chest, “It was the fog again, everything was normal. Then I heard the laugh again, and I thought I was going to see whoever it was. And then, well, it happened before but there was this hand. I didn’t think much of it before since I woke up right after it appeared, but this time the hand grabbed me and…” he began to shake violently.

Yuuri wrapped his arms around him.

“The fog never bothered me, and the laugh was somehow good. But that stupid guy just had to show up.”

“Did that person hurt you?” Yuuri whispered. He could tell Viktor was hesitant to talk about whatever it was.

Viktor nodded before sighing, “Can we go to the rink? I just want to get this out of my head.”

Yuuri quickly agreed and within a few minutes they were ready. Viktor had Makkachin on his leash and was waiting by the door. Yuuri had readied himself in record time, and yet Viktor he been faster. He even had some protein bars in his pockets for them to eat.

Then ran the whole way to the rink, Makka keeping up easily on the familiar streets. Viktor barely even had to pause as he unlocked the door to the rink, and before Yuuri knew it he had handed off Makka’s leash to Yuuri and had pulled out his wand, using magic to lace up his skates instantly, and was on the ice, stowing his wand back in his clothes as he went.

Yuuri was dumbfounded as he watched, slowly coming to enough to let Makka loose. At first Viktor skated hard and fast, skates pounding on the smooth ice, but after a while he slowed and moved to center ice, seemingly lost in thought. The rising sun bathed him in an otherworldly glow that only added to the liminal state that seemed to surround him as he began to slowly skate.

Yuuri could only watch in awe, some invisible force holding him to that spot. For some reason he knew that he needed to be here, to see this.

“Oi, Katsudon.”

Yuuri jumped, looking over to see Yurio plopping down on one of the benches, having obviously arrived just moments ago. Yuuri slowly walked over to sit next to the teen, eyes never leaving Viktor’s mournful dance.

Yurio was watching Viktor, seeming to understand the mood. He was quiet for a while before he softly spoke, “Has he told you about Europeans, or Worlds?”

Yuuri shook his head.

Yurio grunted and nodded at the ice, “I guess in a way he’s telling you now.”

Yuuri watched Viktor practicing moves and jumps that were all loosely forming into some sort of program.

“That’s his Exhibition,” Yurio whispered.

“His programs this year are all so sad.”

“You know his theme?”

“Auroras.”

Yurio scoffed, “Sure, that’s the public explanation, at least the one he’s saying for now. There’s a different meaning, one he can’t talk about so much. You only really see it when he gets like this.”

Yuuri stared, blinking at the young skater, wondering if he’d get an answer. It seemed too private to ask.

Yurio clenched his jaw, watching the ice. He paused and tapped his phone, connecting to the Bluetooth network in the rink and began playing a song in that same woeful voice that had been the foundation of Viktor’s World’s Exhibition, sounding somehow even more grief-stricken then before. Viktor barely flinched when the notes began, effortlessly falling into the rhythm of the soulful song, the program spiraling out of his body and limbs like a painter creating a landscape using only blues and grays.

Yuuri watched as slowly Viktor’s dance cried out to the world of pain so deep he couldn’t speak, and as tears dripped down his face, Yuuri wondered what could have happened to cause the ever cheerful Viktor to cry out in such clear agony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's what an [I-spin](http://photos.skatetoday.com/albums/juniors2005/CZISNY1.JPG) looks like. Yuuri and Yurio are playing Zelda Breath of the Wild because I've been loving that game. Yuuri was skating to How Far I'll Go from Moana. [Here's the Russian version](https://youtu.be/DMQiGYDKBuw). I'm going to keep the rest of the music a secret for now.
> 
> Next chapter will be out shortly (6-26 hours depending on how my afternoon goes). It is a shorter chapter, but it has good reason to be. Sometimes you don't need a lot of words. I'd tell you what it'll be about, but I'd prefer to surprise you all. :)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated!


	21. 14 Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Excessive use of the word fuck. 
> 
> It's time to find out what happened to make Viktor skate so many sad programs. The POV is going to bounce around a bit, and the narrator is going to make their voice heard for the first time. Hope you enjoy!

In the winter before Hogwarts welcomed its first class of transfer students, no one knew about the greatest skating rivalry set to unfold. The name Yuuri Katsuki was almost completely unknown outside the sleepy town of Hatsetsu Japan; Yuri ‘Ice Tiger’ Plisetsky might have been a dominant force within the Juniors, but there was something missing from his stunning performances; and Viktor Nikiforov was fresh off his Grand Prix debut with an admirable Bronze medal finish, but was still considered by many to be untested.

As the year began, people were watching the two Russians, but it was still far from a sure thing that either of them would become the living legends we know them as today. It’s even reasonable to argue that without that fateful first week in September, neither of them, nor Yuuri Katsuki, would even have been remembered beyond those who held them close.

It was this friendship, memorialized through a well timed photo of two skaters performing I-Spins while the third practice a Quad Flip in the background, that would completely shake both the skating and magical worlds in the years to come.

But all of this was unknown to Viktor Nikiforov as he entered the last term of his time at Durmstrang, and the most difficult season of his young life.

To understand the story of these 3 giants is to first understand those fateful months when it was all almost lost.

 

**Day 1 – January**

It was fucked. Everything was fucked.

“As I already explained Mr. Nikiforov, you are welcome to take the Apparition test at the scheduled time, but we cannot make special exceptions for student’s extracurricular activities.”

“But it is the last competition of the year, the most important one. Please! Just let me take the test, or let someone Apparate me here to take it. I can pass the exam! I’ve been ready to pass it for months!”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do. Perhaps you will be able to make time in your schedule next year.”

It was all fucked to fucking hell.

Viktor stormed out of the Head Master’s Office, racing down to the water’s edge, throwing chunks of ice into the sky with his wand and blasting them to pieces.

Fuck Fuck Fuck. They could say all they want that he could take the exam next year, but they’d probably just schedule the exams during the Grand Prix Final.

And for what, assholes. Just because he wanted to participate in a Muggle sport, a sport he was good at! He’d show them, he’d be the best in the world and then he’d get the hell out of this shit hole.

“You aright?” He wasn’t surprised to hear the familiar voice behind him. Unsurprising but unwelcomed.

“Just leave me alone. I’m done. I’m fucking done.”

Otabek came closer, sitting beside him on the cold snow bank he had thrown himself into panting from the exertion of his earlier, aggressive spell work. Viktor felt like the last piece of his heart had finally frozen over towards the magical world. Otabek, Mila, and Sara were probably the only wizards he knew who weren’t shit. Well, Angelina Johnson seemed alright, she’d been helping him get ready for Hogwarts, not that he’d be going now. Otabek might want him to go, but if today had taught him anything it was that wizards were assholes and not worth his time.

“Hogwarts will be better.”

“Not going.”

Otabek grabbed him suddenly and yanked Viktor to face him, using much of his considerable strength to do so, “Don’t react. Wait till after Worlds, then decide. Take a couple extra days and go tour the place. It’s different, I told you.” His words were gentle despite the force behind his movements.

“I’m sick of all of this. Doesn’t matter where I go, they’ll still look down at me for being part of the Muggle world. They might not say it, but they’ll think it.”

“You don’t know that. Plenty of folks I met there were Muggleborn. Yeah, there’s some dicks, but most everyone is cool.”

Viktor scoffed.

“Look, trust me, please. I know people are shit. Hell, I used to be shit!” Viktor couldn’t help but laugh at the memory of his friend from long ago, before he got his head out of his ass and gave Muggles and Muggle-borns a chance. “There are good people out there. Good wizards. You’re way too smart to throw your education away because of this place.”

Viktor sighed, “I need to get to practice…” he wanted to go to practice more than anything, but getting there required traveling by Floo, which was accessed via the Head Master’s Office, the _last_ place he wanted to go right now.

“Want me to take you? I could hang out at your place until you’re done and bring you back. That video game you showed me last time was pretty cool.”

“You think they’ll let you out of here?”

“Please, they don’t care what I do. I’ve been coming and going for months now. Literally the only time they’ve ever cared is the first week of April.”

Viktor kicked some snow.

“I get what they are doing, keeping me from bringing you back, but I don’t get why they won’t let me come watch the competition. I was looking forward to finally seeing you in action for real.”

“Seriously? But you got permission to come months ago!”

Otabek shrugged, “They changed their mind. Guess I’m getting too chummy with Muggles for their liking.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.” There was silence for a long while. Viktor really did need to get to practice, but there was no point right now, he was too mad.

“Come to Hogwarts, Viktor.”

“What’s the point?”

“Complete your magical education, get out of this place, meet some not shit wizards, get a girlfriend. I know lots of cute girls you’d like. There’s this one Asian girl…”

“No thanks.”

“Asians not your type?”

“No, I don’t care about race or any of that; I just don’t want a girlfriend.”

“Why not?”

Viktor paused. Fuck it, what did it matter? “I’m gay.”

“Seriously?”

“Yep.”

Otabek shrugged, “Alright, what kind of guys do you like? There’s this Ravenclaw who’s pretty good looking, top guy in the school…”

Viktor couldn’t help but laugh. It wasn’t a pretty sight. It was uncontrolled and loud, definitely not camera ready. He laughed and laughed until tears ran down his face, until he wasn’t laughing anymore. Otabek grabbed him again, hugging him as the tears fell. God this was embarrassing. Viktor Nikiforov didn’t cry, never cried. So why was he crying all the time now?

“I like guys who are fit,” he sniffled out, “guys who can keep up with me, who have some muscles.” He was still a mess, but he’d rather attempt to move on.

“So like me?”  Otabek grinned and lifted his shirt to reveal his abs, a brave move considering how cold it was.

Viktor couldn’t help but laugh. “Sure, you’re alright.” Truthfully he was more than alright, damn those abs. Viktor wanted to run his hands over them all the way up until the point that he remembered that they were attached to Otabek, and he wasn’t going there. Besides, there was someone else on his mind lately.

“No offence, but you’re not my type.” Otabek grinned.

Viktor snorted, “It’s alright. You want to see my type?”

Otabek nodded and Viktor pulled out his phone, searching for the video he’d watched at least a hundred times. The feed started, featuring a Japanese teen, skating what was a masterful, if unrefined program. He looked so at peace on the ice, and the way his body sang called to Viktor on some basic level.

“Is that one of your competitors?”

“That’s just it; I have no idea who this guy is. I’ve never seen anyone like him. I even looked at the Japanese Skating Federation’s Skater Profiles and can’t find him.  Doesn’t help that the website is in Japanese, I don’t know his name, and not all of the skaters have photos.”

Otabek shrugged, obviously not seeing the appeal. Then again, Viktor was pretty sure his friend was straight. “What’s your next competition?”

“Europeans, I’ll leave for it at the end of the week.”

“You going to win?”

Viktor shrugged, “Trying, but I feel like I might be just a little off still. There’s something I’m just missing.”

“Well, do your best, and don’t do anything stupid while you’re in, where is it again?”

“Sweden.”

“Lame, you don’t even get to get away from Scandinavia.”

“Yup.” He looked at his friend, “What do you define as ‘stupid’?”

Otabek laughed, “Let’s see, drugs, getting a girl pregnant, getting arrested.” He ticked them off on his fingers.

“Phew, then I’m safe. I was afraid you’d say I couldn’t mess around at all.”

Otabek raised an eyebrow, “Use protection.”

Viktor nodded, “I don’t go all the way, just you know, enough. It’s fun.”

“Slut.”

Viktor stuck his tongue out as his friend.

Otabek grinned wickedly elbowing his friend, “Come on, let’s get you to practice. You have a gold medal to win.”

 

**Day 7 – Late January**

“How’s Sweden?” Otabek asked as soon as his closest friend answered his FaceTime call. He was still getting used to Muggle tech, but he had to admit, smart phones were pretty handy.

“Basically the same,” Viktor was pouting at the phone, making his friend laugh.

“Your Japanese Angel show up?” Otabek grinned as his friend blanched.

“Shh! There are people here,” Viktor whispered in Russian, plugging in a pair of headphones just in case. “This is Europeans anyways; he’d be at Four Continents if he was in one of these competitions.”

“Maybe Worlds then?”

“I checked already, Japan is sending Oda and Nakamura. I’ve met them both, not him.” Viktor sighed.

“Well I have some good news. Do you know who Viktor Krum is?”

Viktor seemed to be thinking hard, but eventually shrugged, which really didn’t surprise Otabek. “He’s a Bulgarian Seeker, incredibly famous, and he’s a Durmstrang alumni.”

“Ok, what about him?”

“I met him a few months ago at a training camp and I contacted him yesterday on a whim and told him about you.” Viktor’s eyes narrowed, “Krum was a Tri-Wizard Champion the last time Hogwarts hosted, and he’s a really good guy. He gets us, the pressures of being our age and being a big deal in the sports world. He’s also pretty open about Muggle-borns and Muggle relations.”

Viktor looked intrigued by this, “Really? Most um…Rugby players don’t really get it.”

Otabek snorted a bit as his friend struggled to talk about decidedly Wizarding subjects in the presence of Muggles. “Yeah, anyways, he obviously knows where the school is. He has a match the same day as Worlds but he says he can come collect you as long as he finishes early enough.”

“What!? Seriously?”

Otabek nodded, “He said it’s no problem. It’s not a sure thing, but it’s a pretty good chance.”

“That’s ok! It’s amazing he’d even try. Please tell him thank you for me! Ah! I’m so excited; I’m totally going to win now!”

Otabek smiled glad to be able to help his friend. Viktor might think it was a pretty one-sided friendship, but he knew better. Ever since he’d made his National Quidditch team, school had been a strange place. He might have turned into a real asshole if not for the perpetual grounding force that was Viktor Nikiforov.

He heard someone talking to Viktor off camera in what he guessed to be French, and watched as Viktor’s face changed. There was a slight blush there as he responded.

When whoever it was had moved on Viktor turned back to his phone, speaking again in low Russian, “Hey Beks?”

“Da?”

“Have you ever, you know, done it?”

Otabek raised an eyebrow before responding, “Yeah. Last summer. There was a seventh year girl at Hogwarts that I got on well with. We had a little thing over the summer.”

“Really? I didn’t know that. Does your girlfriend know that?”

Otabek grimaced, “No, and please don’t tell her. That’s more drama than I want to deal with.”

Viktor nodded, but looked nervous, “Is it fun?”

“Sure.” What did you really say to a question like that? Of course it was fun, at least, if you liked the person.

“And,” Viktor paused, biting his lip, “would it be terrible to do it with someone else even though I have this huge crush on my angel?”

Otabek wanted to tease his friend for going along with the nickname, but he looked so nervous Otabek knew it wasn’t the time for jokes. “You have no idea who he is. He hasn’t even posted more videos. Maybe you’ll find him soon, but you may never find him. If you are attracted to someone, and safe, I don’t think anyone would judge you for indulging yourself.”

Viktor nodded, “There’s this guy, he’s a little older, but he’s been flirting with me all season. He’s seems alright.”

“How much older?”

“20.”

Otabek nodded, “Maybe a little old, but not crazy. You are 17 now after all. Is he a good guy?”

Viktor shrugged, “I don’t really know him outside of competition. I don’t want to date him, or anything; I just thought it might be fun to, you know. I’ve been dancing around it for a while now.”

“It’s up to you really. I liked the girl I was with, but we aren’t soul mates or anything.”

Viktor nodded, “I’ll think about it.”

“Good call, just go with what feels right. And make sure you win, Gold medals are way more likely to get your angel’s attention than silver.”

Viktor giggled, “I’ll do my best. See you later, Beks.”

“Later.”

 

**Day 14- Early February**

Stupid Viktor. What kind of asshole borrows someone’s phone charger and then just up and leaves early without giving it back? Now the dickhead wasn’t even answering his phone. Why? What excuse does he have? Certainly not lack of a charger!

Yuri stomped up the stairs to Viktor’s stupid apartment. If he was honest with himself it wasn’t a stupid apartment at all, it was great. And Viktor was pretty cool too, buying games he knew Yuri wanted and then giving Yuri a key so he could ‘water the plants’ while Viktor was at school. The truth was Viktor didn’t have any plants, but on weekends it was sometimes hard for Yuri to get back home from practice, so having a place to go no matter if Viktor was around or not was nice.

He fiddled with the keys and opened the apartment door. There was luggage thrown haphazardly just inside the door. Slob.

Yuri bent down and searched for his charger, finding it buried under the hastily packed clothes. What the hell Viktor, who packs this way? How did he manage to always look so perfect when it looked like he had literally thrown his closet into his bag? Even his costumes were wadded up.

Yuri frowned, that was definitely not like Viktor. Yuuri had seen the care Viktor took with his costumes. All of his old ones were even packed up carefully in a storage unit in case he ever needed them again.

Yakov hadn’t even known why Viktor just left the morning after the exhibitions and had had to make up some family emergency excuse for the sponsors Viktor ditched during the Gala the next day. True, Europeans weren’t as big of a deal as the Grand Prix or Worlds, but they were still a big fucking deal.

Yakov was going to kill him when he got hold of him. But even Yakov didn’t know where he was, couldn’t get a hold of him, and based on this luggage, there was no way Viktor was back at school. Viktor hated his school for one (he’d complained to Mila about it many times), and secondly, his book bag was among the luggage.

Yuuri peaked at the books; they were strange, thick, not normal text books. What kind of crazy stuff was Viktor learning?

A noise from the bedroom pulled his attention away from the books. It sounded like clattering, like someone had dropped something metal. “Viktor?”

There was no answer.

Something was wrong.

Yuri carefully made his way over to the sleeping area; there was no door so there wasn’t much space to hide. “Is that you, Viktor? Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

Yuri could feel the hair on the back of his neck prickle as he rounded the corner.

The keys in his hand fell to the ground.                                                                                                                                 

He stood there for a long moment, taking in the scene before him. For a moment the world spun, then with fumbling hands Yuri pulled out his phone dialing, “YAKOV! I‘m at Viktor’s. I need Dr. Petrov here, now. Hurry!”

Yuri hung up the phone, eyes wide, not knowing what to do, eyes fixated on the scissors on the floor.

“Yuri…you have to help me…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find out what the fuck is going on in next week's chapter (I'm the worst I know). Viktor will be telling his story, and then we'll be back to more happy fun times at Hogwarts.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments/shares/kudos/etc. are super appreciated.


	22. Only Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be updating the tags, but I wanted to warn you all going in that, while there is nothing graphic, there are some uncomfortable moments coming up. I really don't want to spoil the story with the tags, but if you're nervous, you can hold off a day or two until I update them. Like I said, it is nothing graphic. I'm working very hard to keep the T rating on this fic, I want to keep it accessible.
> 
> There will be answers in this chapter, and just because I know last week ended on a rough cliffhanger, I'll let you know that this chapter ends with hope.
> 
> Please enjoy this ridiculously long chapter (seriously, it's 30 pages and 13,000 words) that came out twice as long as I thought it would.

 

He stared at his watch. He had 4 hours till the exam. It’d be close, but he could pull it off.  Mila would cover for him with Yakov. He should have nearly an hour between the start of the exam and when he skated. It would work.

Viktor Krum (he smirked that he was relying on someone with whom he shared his name) would arrive as soon as his match was over, and it had started over an hour ago. Surely he’d be done in plenty of time. Quidditch matches could go long, but they usually didn’t, and Krum was the best Seeker in the world.

It would be ok.

He watched the hands tick down.

Two hours. Plenty of time.

One hour. Still ok..

10 minutes. It would be close.

5 minutes. There was still time. Krum just needed to text him and they could go.

1 minute. They could make it.

Time.

A text pinged to his phone from Otabek:

                _I’m listening to the match on the wireless; they just went into hour 6._

There was a pause where the screen showed Otabek still typing before the second message arrived.

_I’m sorry man._

He wanted to scream, punch something, blow something up. There were still 10 skaters to go, there was plenty of time!

He threw himself into a corner. No, he needed to calm down. His program was pretty; he couldn’t go on the ice angry. Next year, next year’s programs could be about these dark emotions, sadness, depression, fury; but not this year. This year was about using his feminine looks to their best advantage while he still had them. He’d grown two inches this year, he was 17, his shirts fit more snuggly in the chest than they had a year ago. This time was ending; this was his last opportunity to be _this_ Viktor.

He buried his face in his hands, breathing hard. He would not have a panic attack now. Or an episode. Not today. He’d show them, he’d win; he’d be the best in the world and prove to them that he was better than them. That he was the best.

He felt someone sit next to him, “You ok?”

Viktor looked up at Chris. Of all the people here, this was probably the one he couldn’t be mad at, couldn’t begrudge his company, and also couldn’t lie to. “No.”

“What’s up?”

Viktor sighed. Chris knew him, obviously not the wizard stuff, but he knew him well enough. “There was this test at school. If you pass you basically get a bunch of privileges. It’s not a huge deal long term, but it means a lot to me right now. It’d make a lot of things better.”

Chris nodded. He might not _know_ what Viktor went through at school, but he knew enough. He knew Viktor hated it there.

“The test is today. They wouldn’t let me reschedule. They put it today on purpose. Normally it’s offered twice a term, but not this year, oh no, this year it’s only today.” Viktor almost growled.

“Some friends of mine were trying to convince them to let me Skype in for the test. I was just going to go to one of the back rooms for 30 minutes or so, answer the questions and then compete.”

“Sounds rushed.”

Viktor nodded, “Rushed, not ideal, but better than nothing.”

“I’m guessing it didn’t happen?”

Viktor nodded, “They couldn’t let me have just this one thing.” He punched his thigh.

Chris sighed, “And you have what, two more years at this place? Aren’t you old enough to be done?”

Viktor nodded, “Next month will basically be the end of High School for me, but it’s a special Prep School, they have, well it’s basically A levels in the UK, or an Associate’s degree in America. If I stick around it’ll be easier for me long term.”

“So you’d basically only need 2-3 years of college if you wanted to complete your degree later?”

“Yeah.”

“Useful.”

Viktor nodded, “I basically have three choices. I stay and suffer through it for 2 years.”

“Less than ideal.”

“I quit, and don’t get any college credits, and maybe never get any degree.”

“Even less ideal. You’re smart, you should get a degree. You never know when you might need it.”

“Or I transfer.”

“That sounds good,” Chris perked up.

Viktor sighed, “My friend is transferring next year too. He got me to agree to apply. I have to finish the year well, just to get in, but the problem is I just don’t know if I want to deal with it anymore. I’m worried it’ll be the same shit, just a different postal code.”

Chris sighed, “I get what you mean, but it can’t be worse right?”

Viktor shrugged, “I don’t know. I was pretty set on going, but after today…It’s a different school, but the same system you know. Another Private Prep School. How different can it be?”

“Stuck up rich kids are basically the same everywhere you go.” Chris paused, “Except you’re not like that, and we both know you make my family’s rich look middle class.”

There were, generally speaking, two types of skaters. Rich kids or absurdly talented kids. Chris was a rich kid. Kids like Yuri, they were talented. Yakov had spotted him in a skating class when he was 8 and brought him to their practice. Even Viktor had been impressed. There were outliers and exceptions, but those qualifications seemed to encompass most of the skaters he’d met.

Viktor had been the 3rd option, rich _and_ talented.

This wasn’t to say Chris wasn’t talented. He was, but he wasn’t the natural someone like Viktor or Yuri was. He’d had to work very, very hard to get to this level. It had paid off and Viktor admired his Swiss friend immensely for it.

They sat quietly together for a short time longer, helping one another stretch and keep the nerves at bay until Chris’ coach called for him.

“Good luck, Chris,” Viktor called after him, receiving a smile and a wave in return. He knew Chris would wish him luck after he skated; right now he had to focus on himself.

Viktor sighed, finally feeling a bit calmer. He made to stand, planning to find Yakov and jog in place until it was time, when he found himself cornered.

“Hello Viktor,” the man purred in his French accent.

Viktor wanted to vomit.

The French skater was too close, way too close; and he was staring at Viktor the same way Makkachin looked at Pirozhkis.

Viktor glared up at the man, “Excuse me, I need to warm-up.” He tried to move away.

“You will look so cute when you’re looking up at me on the podium Viktor, almost as good as you look when you’re under me,” the man teased in what Viktor was sure he thought was a flirtatious tone. It just made his skin crawl now.

“Let’s make a deal, Viktor. When I win today, you’ll come celebrate with me.”

Viktor’s stomach churned; gut tightening, the sick threatening to come up. ‘Please let this asshole just leave,’ he thought. “And when I win,” he couldn’t help the malice in his voice, “you will never speak to me again.”

The man smirked, “Don’t be coy. You know you want to celebrate with me.”

“Viktor!” Saved by the Yakov.

“I need to go.”

“See you later, Viktor,” the skater cooed sickly.

Viktor hustled over to Yakov who merely raised an eyebrow, leading Viktor away from the other competitors for his final warm-up. Disgust was rolling in his veins, tinted with the taste of humiliation and regret.

He’d known the French skater for years, but it never really mattered until the last season and the European Championship in particular. Viktor had a reputation in the skating world coming into the season, fresh off his debut season, already taking the podium and gunning for the top.

He was also know among skaters as being gay and ready to play.

He hadn’t gone all the way or anything, but he had certainly played around a fair amount. He and Chris had made out at a few of the after parties when he was a junior, and he’d done a few other things with some of the other skaters over the years.

Most of the time the senior skaters ignored him, or kept a protective eye on him, kept him away (or mostly away) from any alcohol that might be making the rounds. But that night had been different. Viktor had gotten his hands on some vodka and, while not wasted, he was just drunk enough to not listen to the smart part of his brain that wasn’t a moron.

That’s when the 20 year old French skater had approached him. At first it was just fun, teasing, flirting, making out a little. Then he’d asked Viktor back to his room.

And Viktor had been an idiot. He’d gone with him. He knew what would happen and he went anyways. Like the dumbass he was.

He knew it wasn’t his fault, not really. He was only a few weeks past the age of 17, he shouldn’t have been there and the guy shouldn’t have touched him, but that didn’t stop Viktor for blaming himself. He knew better, he was mature. If he had seen that guy talking to Mila or Yuri he would have put a stop to it. But he didn’t protect himself.

The French man hadn’t hurt him, but he hadn’t really cared that it was Viktor’s first time either. He’d done enough to get things going and then, that had been it. Viktor had left feeling dirty and used; he was such an idiot. He should have said no, but with a mind full of rage at the magical world, a dusting of loneliness that seemed to dominate his thoughts these days, and a stomach just full enough of alcohol to blur his judgment; he hadn’t bothered even thinking it until it was already over and he realized what he’d done.

‘Stop thinking about it,’ Viktor thought to himself.

As the his skate grew near, Viktor slipped in some earbuds and pulled up his now favorite YouTube video and watched as the young Japanese skater made music with his body and blades. It was here, in this quiet moment of solitude while watching this mystery man skate he could begin to forget.

He was so enchanting. Viktor had been trying to be even half as expressive as this unknown skater was all season long. He hadn’t cried in years, but the first time he saw this teen skate his eyes had filled with tears, and his heart filled with a longing he hadn’t been able to shake since.

After his idiotic mistake at Europeans (and subsequent ‘episode’) he’d spent the better part of two days watching this video over and over. He’d already seen it more times than he could count, but at his lowest, it saved him.

Was he watching? If he skated like this he must be. No true skater missed Worlds. That lifted Viktor’s heart a bit; his angel would be watching.

The time went by faster than Viktor would have liked and soon he was nervously skating onto the ice. His warm-up skate had gone well, the Triple Flip had been perfect, just the right height, he could definitely fit the rotations for the quad. Everything was perfect, he was ready.

So why was he so nervous? He had to calm down, relax. Forget all the people who wanted him to fail. He didn’t need them, didn’t need anyone. Yakov believed in him, his rink mates had traveled from Russia for him, Otabek was watching a live stream, and Chris was cheering from the side of the rink. Everyone he needed and cared for was here, he didn’t need to be nervous.

But he was. He slid to center ice, trying desperately to breathe, shaking his muscles loose as he prepared for the music to begin. Shit, he was too nervous.

“Ganbatte!”

Viktor’s head snapped up. Who was that, what did it mean? Just below where his rink mates were sitting was a boy…no, a teenager. He was Asian; he almost looked familiar, so much like his angel.

He was blushing, staring directly at Viktor, with blue rimmed glasses framing his face. He was cute with an expressive face and wide eyes.

Shit, maybe Viktor did have a thing for Asians. He really needed to learn how to tell the different cultures apart, he felt kind of racist. Then again, maybe this teen was Japanese too? He could be. What had he said? Was that Japanese?

 “Davai!” The scream came out in earnest from his rink mates, clearly not wanting to be outdone by some random fan. Viktor couldn’t help but chuckle. Mila was standing and pumping her fist, while Yuri was waving a cat plushie that Mila had gotten for him. They really were the best.

He stole a quick glance back at the dark haired teen who was staring at him like Viktor was his whole world. He couldn’t help but wish that the teen was the same one as in the video. Was it awful to imagine he was? Was that insulting to both of them? They were both beautiful, in different and unique ways; both of them fascinating to him.

The music began and Viktor let out a silent plea, ‘Please forgive me, but for just this skate, be mine. Watch me, don’t ever look away.’

And it clicked. It was like his body was painting a picture, a portrait of his love, of beauty, of sweetness. All for his angel. His body moved, flowing one step into the next, with more grace than he’d ever managed before, challenging so much of what his angel brought to the ice. ‘He’s watching me, I know it.’ Viktor couldn’t help but think.

Before he knew it, it was time. In his mind he knew his program had been perfect so far, but in his heart he couldn’t even recall what he’d done. All the mattered was that the colors of his soul were spilling all over the ice.

It was time, time to prove to everyone that he was the best. It was time to show his angel how much he cared. ‘Watch me!’ his mind called.

He leapt into the Quad Flip, and it was perfect. He hadn’t just landed it, he had nailed it. He the first, and he had done it perfectly. ‘That was for you!’ his soul sang to the boy in the video, to the teen in the stands, his heart wishing for them to be one in the same, believing, no matter how untrue it was that they were, even if just for this moment.

‘I’m not broken,’ he thought, flying into his final spin, moving so fast the world was a blur before slamming to a stop and taking his final pose.

He’d done it. He didn’t need scores, he didn’t need medals; he’d done it. He’d fought back against them all, all the voices in his mind that always told him he couldn’t do it. The crowd’s screams shattered his mind, broke the barrier he had made with the world, destroying the fantasy his mind had weaved for a moment, but it didn’t matter.

He bowed and waved, first to the judges, and then to the crowd, finally turning back to his muse and rink mates.

But the teen was gone. The woman he had been sitting next to was there, his rink mates were standing and cheering, but the boy was gone. Viktor scanned the audience quickly, a small moment of panic when his eyes caught on something blue.

There, by the barrier, the dark haired teen was waiting, holding out flowers. Viktor didn’t even hesitate, skating over, heart in his throat, a large smile taking up permanent residence on his face.

“Is that for me?”

The teen was only a bit shorter than him, if he had to guess, with deep brown eyes that seemed to pull him in. He nodded, looking as nervous as Viktor realized he felt. He couldn’t help but smile as he lowered his head to accept the crown of blue roses. How did this fan know they were his favorite? His mother used to love them. No one knew that though.

He couldn’t help but notice the teen’s face was flush and hands were shaking as he gently placed the roses. Viktor reminded himself to be kind, the poor boy was likely star struck. Then again, he was a little struck too.

 “Does it look good?”

 It was so quiet he could barely hear, but somehow, despite all the noise that quiet voice rang clear.

“Yeah, it does.”

Viktor felt his heart thump hard, as if it had tripped on a crack in the floor. He wanted to stay here, ask for this boy’s number, flirt, make that adorable blush spread. But he knew he had to go. Maybe fate would be kind and he’d see him again.

“Thanks for cheering for me!”

Forcing himself to skate away might have been the hardest thing he’d ever done. How could 10 seconds change your whole world so drastically? He scooped up a Poodle plush as he excited the ice, waved, and then slid right up to the proud Yakov who was waiting for him, guards in hand.

“Well done, Vitya,” Yakov whispered pulling him into a hug. Viktor had to blink hard to keep from crying.

They made their way to the Kiss and Cry, Viktor being careful to keep the flowers firmly seated on his head as he played with the plushie for the camera, keeping his smile plastered on his face, a task that would have been difficult just 5 minutes ago, but now was as easy as breathing. His mind was filled with those brown eyes.

The scores finally appeared, and Viktor thought his brain had died for a moment as he saw them. He was first place by a wide margin, and even better, a world record.

He screamed, jumping, finding himself caught in Yakov’s arms, felt himself being flung by his rink mates who sprinted into the Kiss and Cry to tackle him. He could only laugh and smile, carefully making sure to keep his flowers on his head.

He was pulled backstage into the waiting arms of the press who were all eager to interview him, and he answered question after question, growing silent whenever a new score was read until finally the last skater, the French man, sat in the Kiss and Cry waiting for his score.

The score flashed and Viktor sank to his knees, cameras surrounding him, catching his every move. He’d done it. Emotions coursed through him as let it all crash in on him for a moment. Every pain pushing him forward to this moment when he proved himself to the world. He was the greatest; he’d do it again, and again, they were never taking this feeling from him ever again.

Tears were falling openly from his eyes, how did someone contain this level of joy? He took a deep breath and stood, face awash with glee as he smiled for the entire world to see.

Yakov saved him soon, and ushered Viktor over to the ice where he skated out to accept his medal, a Russian flag draped around his shoulders, his crown of blue roses adorning his head.

He smiled and waved, kissing his gold medal. The crowd was on their feet, cheering louder than he’d ever heard, and he couldn’t help the smile that stretch across his face.

He wanted to shoot sparks out of his finger tips and make himself fly. He’d never so badly wanted to use his magic. It was right there, right at his finger tips. It had never been this present; he was glad he was so good at controlling it, because he really wanted to let lose right now.

“This isn’t over, Nikiforov.”

Viktor felt his veins run cold as the bitter French man muttered beside him. He could feel the man pressing down on him when the photographers had them pose together. Viktor struggled to keep his smile. Fortunately it only last a few seconds before they declared they had what they needed.

Viktor skated off as quickly as he could, returning directly to Yakov and his team. He tried to catch his breath, he couldn’t panic here; there were too many eyes.

“Viktor?” Yakov was beside him, carefully shielding him from the press.

Viktor breathed, closing his eyes as he saw the silver medalist exit the ice near them. He hated asking for help, but he needed it. He was more mature than most 17 year olds, but he was still a kid. Maybe being mature meant understanding that you weren’t as grown up as you thought you were.

“Yakov, Dr. Petrov told you what happened at the European championship didn’t she?” It was a guess really, but Yakov had been keeping a closer eye on him ever since.

Yakov’s eyes widened, answering Viktor’s question for him. Viktor nodded, standing up straighter and waving to his fans again, reigniting their cheers. He leaned closer to Yakov, muttering softly, “Please turn down any requests from the silver medalist for me, will you?”

Yakov understood immediately, face growing hard, eyes narrowing, a protective hand reaching out and shielding Viktor as he stared down the other competitor. Viktor knew he could defend himself, he had magic after all, but he didn’t want to have to go there. For once, he just wanted to feel protected by an adult. He really loved Yakov right now.

Chris came bounding over, congratulating Viktor, not noticing Yakov quietly seething beside him. Mila, Yuri, and Georgi were soon surrounding them, all chatting happily.

Finally, Yakov broke out of his rage, “Viktor!” he shouted loud enough for anyone to hear, especially the French team. “You are the gold medalist now; you cannot let down your fans with a poor exhibition tomorrow. You are forbidden from leaving the hotel tonight. You’ll be staying in your room and resting. I want no excuses in the morning.”

Viktor smiled and laughed causally, as if Yakov was just being a silly, overbearing coach, “Alright, but can we,” he motioned to his friends surrounding him, making sure to clearly include Yakov as well, “at least order some food and watch movies?”

Yakov nodded, “Yes, but only these 4. You leave your room and I will personally have your head.”

‘Thank you Yakov’ Viktor couldn’t help but think as he stared gratefully into his coach’s eyes.

“Now come on, we haven’t got all day. Go get changed. You too Chris.”

Chris raised an eyebrow, about to argue that Yakov wasn’t his coach, but Viktor grabbed his arm and half dragged him to the locker room.

“Geez, what was that about? That’s a bit much even for Yakov.”

“He was protecting me.”

Chris looked up, confused.

“You remember the European Championships.”

It wasn’t a question. Chris went a bit pale because of course he remembered. He and Viktor had been sharing a room. Chris had been pulled out of the after party early, but he had been there long enough to see Viktor stick his tongue down the other skater’s throat.

He’d also been awake when Viktor came back, stumbling into the bathroom and vomiting into the toilet, crying fat, ugly tears as his body wretched itself in humiliation. It had been Chris that had helped him into the shower where he had scrubbed himself clean 5 times. It had been Chris who had combed and dried his hair, and held him till he fell asleep, never speaking a word of what happened.

Chris didn’t know, but he knew, and his face now spoke clearly that he understood why Viktor wasn’t being left alone as he watched the French skater enter the changing room, staring daggers at Viktor. Viktor leaned down into his sports bag, fingers clenching around his wand.

“Oi, Shithead! Move!”

Yuri ‘Ice Tiger’ Plisetsky barged past the silver medalist, and plopped onto the bench in front of Viktor. “Yakov says hurry up.”

Viktor smiled and nodded, slowly fingering the hem of his shirt. He could feel the man’s eyes on him.

“What are you looking at dickwad?” Yuri spat at the French man.

The silver medalist looked furious but grabbed his bag and stormed off. Viktor couldn’t help but sigh.

“Thanks, Yuri.”

Viktor expected Yuri to ask him what for, but he was surprised, “I see more than most people think I do.”

Viktor looked up and stared into the younger skater’s eyes. They were fierce, protective. Viktor had saved his life once and used magic to do it, and ever since, Yuri had been loyal to him, in his own grumpy way. That loyalty had been tested after Europeans, but again Yuri had proven himself trustworthy. But this was more than that.

Viktor rolled Yuri’s words over in his mind as he changed. He’d suspected for years that Yuri didn’t buy Viktor’s explanation of events that day in the road. And what Yuri had seen after Europeans couldn’t be explained easily. Yuri had backed off asking for explanations, but it was clear that Viktor had only bought himself time.

He finished changing, hugging Chris one last time, promising to gather in his hotel room for their celebration later.

He was heading for the door when he stopped, ignoring Yakov’s questions for a moment before rushing after an older skater.

“Oda-san!” Viktor called, chasing after the Japanese skater. Viktor had to admit he didn’t know the man well, but he’d skated at a few events with him over the past two years.

Oda turned, questions clear on his face. “Hai, Viktor?”

Viktor pulled out his phone, quickly pulling up the video he’d watched just an hour ago, “Oda, do you know who this skater is?”

The older skater was considered the leader of the Japanese skating team, if anyone would have any clue who this mystery skater was, it was him.

His face was scrunched, watching. As the video ended, he turned the phone, scrolling through the description and comments. “I’ve never seen him. He’s not one of our juniors either. There’s nothing in the description either. Everyone’s just asking who he is, wanting more videos so they can follow him.” He paused, looking perplexed, “I don’t get it. How is someone that good not even on our radar?”

Viktor shrugged, “I don’t know. I’ve asked everyone and no one knows. He’s got to have a coach or something right? No one is that good just on their own!”

Oda shrugged, “I’ll ask around at home, maybe someone knows him,” he paused, “I heard there was a coach in Japan, but he’s suppose to be working with a Thai skater.”

“Why would a Thai skater be in Japan? Who’s the coach?”

Oda was shaking his head, “I have no idea. Celestino doesn’t base out of Japan either.”

Viktor felt his eyebrows raise, “Celestino? He was working out of Detroit until Johnson got hurt.”

“All I know is I heard he’s in Japan now. I have no idea if he’s coaching this kid, but it’s strange enough to merit investigation, don’t you think?”

Viktor nodded, “Thank you, Oda. Oh, can I get your contact info! I’ll tell you if I find out anything.”

Oda laughed before exchanging phones with Viktor, quickly entering their own contact details into each other’s phones.

With another word of thanks Viktor jogged back to his waiting team, Yakov’s face full of impatience.

“There are a few fans outside,” Georgi informed them as the team made their way to the door. Viktor handed off his gifts to Mila, Yuri, and Georgi to load into the car, while Yakov took his gear. Viktor would need his hands to greet the fans. He adjusted his crown of blue roses, hoping against all hope that the brown-eyed teen had found this entrance.

He opened the door to an outpouring of cheers, scanning the crowd wildly for the teen.

He was there, clutching what appeared to be a poster and a fat marker, ready for an autograph.

Viktor quickly made his way over to the barriers, shaking a few hands and signing a few autographs for show, before approaching the young man.

He was so familiar.

And cute, definitely cute. 

"Hello again! Autograph?" He was even prettier in the sunlight; it was making his eyes sparkle and his hair gleam. He nodded and handed Viktorhe poster and pen. "Ah, this is my costume from last year!" Viktor smiled looking at the poster celebrating his debut year.

He nodded again and spoke, his voice much clearer this time, "I really liked that program. It inspired me a lot."

Viktor smiled, heart banging in his chest. He was so conflicted. In one part of his mind sat his angel, and in the other, this expressive teen. He wanted both, and he’d never wanted anything so bad. "I'm glad, now, who should I make this out to?"

"Oh! Um...Yuuri, with two u's." A blush crept up his cheeks. Correction, now he’d never wanted anything so bad. Yuuri, his name was Yuuri.

Viktor chuckled, "Ok, Yuuri with two u's." He took a chance and winked at Yuuri, enjoying how deep the flush got, and then started writing. Along the bottom he wrote the date, followed by ‘First Quad Flip, First World Cup Gold Metal, First Senior World Record-FS’. He was bragging a bit, but Yuuri didn’t seem to mind, it was also making this take longer than it needed to, and he would clutch at any precious seconds spent with Yuuri. He began muttering quietly to himself as he wrote, in part to try and spur a reaction from Yuuri, "To my favorite fan, Yuuri (with two u's). Your support means the world to me." He drew a heart and signed his name before , regrettably, handing the pen and poster back.

Yuuri was overcome with joy, stuttering thank yous cutely in English and what Viktor was pretty sure was Japanese, making him smirk, when a shout tore their attention away from each other. "Viktor, hurry up!" Yakov was glowering at him in impatience.

Viktor sighed, Yakov clearly wanted Viktor out of here as quickly as possible. He might get impatient, but time with fans was important. He understood Yakov’s protectiveness, but it was really inconvenient right now. "Well, thank you again Yuuri. Be sure to come see me skate again, da? Bye bye!"

He turned and headed back to the car, cursing himself inwardly, ‘Bye bye? Who that fuck says that Nikiforov? You should have been suave, cool. You should have asked for his fucking number you dumbass!’

"Congratulations!" Yuuri called back, shoving all the negativity away, turning back and giving Yuuri his biggest smile before continuing his walk to the car.

When he approached Yakov he was hustled into the car, but Viktor couldn’t help but take one last look back at Yuuri, wondering desperately if he was making a terrible mistake.

Yuuri had reunited with his companion, and as they collected their piles of merchandise, he turned the side of his face towards Viktor for just a moment and adjusted his glasses.

The realization hit Viktor like a stunning spell. It was him. His angel, Yuuri, they were the same! It was hard to tell from the front with the glasses, but from this angle, without the glasses, that was all it took.

His angel was walking away.

“Yuuri!” He called. “Yuuri wait!”

But Yuuri didn’t hear him and Viktor felt his heart sink as Yuuri’s back disappeared around a corner.

He slowly slinked back to the car, tossing himself inside, ignoring the stares from his teammates.

“How long are you going to wear that thing?” Yuri sneered.

Viktor slowly pulled off his crown that Yuuri had made him. His Yuuri. He couldn’t help but smirk when he realized he now had two Yuris in his life, because whether his Yuuri with two Us knew it or not, Viktor would find him, somehow. He had to.

His fingers slowly brushed the soft petals, impressed by how neatly it was done, with real roses no less. It was perfect; it must have been professionally done. He narrowed his eyes. There were small wires holding it together but the closer he looked, the more he realized they weren’t tight, nor were they where they needed to be. This crown was holding together on its own.

He looked even closer; Yuri and Mila looking at him, probably thinking he’d lost his mind. He stared at the roses, feeling them. There was a tingle.

He gasped, “Mila, look!”

She raised an eyebrow but looked at the flowers. Yuri was rolling his eyes, but stared curiously.

It took her a few minutes but suddenly Mila gasped.

“What? What’s up with them?” Yuri asked, suddenly looking curious.

Shit, he should not have done this here, how did he explain this to Yuri?

“They’re the same kind his mother used to grow in their yard,” Mila smoothly lied. “They’re really rare; I’ve never seen them other than in her garden. It’s amazing that a fan would have found them and used them really.”

He would have to buy her a new pair of shoes when they got home. Or a necklace. Or a fucking boat.

Yuri just shrugged and Viktor felt a breath huff out of his chest as he leaned back, gently running his finger over the flowers. Yuuri was a wizard, and he’d used his magic to make something for Viktor, someone Viktor was quite sure Yuuri would think was a Muggle. The list of people who knew Viktor the skater and Viktor the wizard were the same person was exceptionally short.

They arrived back at the hotel and Yakov instructed them to go to their rooms and rest for a bit, telling Mila, Yuri, and Viktor that he’d by shortly with their practice times for the next day. Georgi was the only one who hadn’t competed, the second Russian spot taken by an older skater who had barely made it to the second day of the competition. There were rumors he would be retiring after this season.

Mila and Viktor both had their own rooms. Truthfully Viktor wouldn’t have minded sharing with Mila; they’d taken baths together when they were children so he didn’t really think anything of it, but Yakov had said no. Firstly because it would look bad if anyone found out, and secondly because when they were together they had a bad habit of getting into mischief.

Regardless, Mila crashed in Viktor’s room immediately, hopping onto his bed and flipping through the television channels while he made his way to the shower to finally get the sweat off himself. He carefully set his flowers on the table before entering the bathroom.

When he emerged, feel and smelling far better than he had, he found Mila staring at his flowers while she looked at something on her phone.

“I was thinking,” she muttered. “Isn’t Diagon Alley near here?”

Viktor sank onto the bed thinking, “Yeah, I don’t know the exact location, but it’s in London. Why?”

“Well I was thinking, if I were a wizard…”

“You are, but continue.”

She threw a pillow at him, “If I were traveling as one I meant, anyways, if I were, I’d probably stay there, right?”

Viktor looked up, “I guess, yeah?”

“So if that guy, what was his name?”

“Yuuri.”

She giggled, “Well maybe Yuuri is staying there. I know you could just Apparate straight back, but it would seem like if you’ve already come all this way you’d at least take a look around Diagon Alley.”

“What are you saying Mila?”

“Well, it’s a long shot at best, but what if they’re staying there tonight and they do some shopping in the morning. If you spotted them there it would confirm he’s a wizard, and maybe you could talk to him again.”

Viktor sat up. This was an excellent idea, why hadn’t he thought of it? It wasn’t a guarantee, far from it, but it was a chance. It was a lot better than going door to door to meet every Yuuri in Japan. Or going to every ice rink in the country and asking if they knew him. Both plans would take ages and would probably get him arrested.

Deservedly so.

But this, this could work. He was a wizard so it’s not strange for him to go there, and if Yuuri was there, his heart pounded just at the thought. But how would he get there? There was no way Yakov would let him out tonight.

Soon, the rest of his teammates and Chris joined him in his room. Yakov came by not long after, surprisingly, holding a stack of pizza boxes.

“Yakov! You do care!” Viktor cried as he dug into the cheesy meal.

“Oh my god it’s been so long,” Mila moaned.

Yuri scoffed but was stuffing his face.

Yakov for his part just rolled his eyes, “It’s a shame next year’s World’s are in Calgary, you all could use some culture in your lives.”

“Now now, Yakov, I am plenty cultured,” Chris rebutted, though the effect was slightly diminished by the long string of cheese connecting his mouth to his slice of pizza.

“Yakov,” an idea suddenly struck Viktor, “How early do you think I could practice tomorrow?”

Yakov raised an eyebrow, Viktor might be a great competitor, but he never volunteered to wake up earlier than necessary. “First time starts at 7, the men have the 10am slot however.”

“Who has the 7am slot?”

“No one, yet.”

“Can you get it for me?”

Yakov stared at him, “Why?”

Viktor smiled, “Well, first of all I’d like to be alone. It’s hard to surprise people when there’s reporters and other skaters around watching. And second, I’d like to do a bit of shopping when I’m done, just for a few hours, if that’s alright.”

He could feel Mila’s curious gaze. Viktor did love shopping, but he usually did it before competition. He’d been nervous about his Apparition test this time, however, so he hadn’t gone.

“I don’t know if you should be going out alone, Viktor,” Yakov scowled.

 “I promise I’ll be safe Yakov! I’ll take a cab, and I’ll stick to high end stores with security guards so if anyone gives me trouble I can ask for help. I’ll even wear a hat over my hair if it makes you feel better. Please Yakov? I want to have a little fun.”

Yakov sighed, “Fine, but you’d better be back by 2, you’ll need to rest before the Exhibition.”

Viktor hopped up and hugs Yakov, it was awkward, “Thank you Yakov! I promise I’ll behave! Should I get you a scarf?”

Yakov made a noise that was supposed to be a grumble, but was blunted by the chuckle it was merged with. “You deserve a reward after your hard work Vitya, but don’t be mistaken; you will work harder than you ever have this summer preparing for next season.”

Viktor grinned, “Of course.”

 

Viktor woke bright and early the next day when his alarm went off just 30 minutes before his practice time. He slipped into his practice gear and picked up the bag he’d packed the night before with a change of clothes within it and headed downstairs where Yakov was waiting, and hurried into the car that would take them to the rink.

He was still pretty tired so he was basically just following Yakov at this point. That’s why he was so surprised when someone tumbled into the cab beside him. He flinched before he saw the blonde hair beside him.

“Good morning, Yura. What are you doing here?”

“I’m practicing with you.”

Viktor nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Ok, but why? Isn’t your session at 11?”

Yuri glanced towards the front of the cab where Yakov sat with the driver, “I want to go shopping with you.”

Viktor saw right through him, “No you don’t, you hate shopping. At least you hate the stores I shop at, so what are you really after?”

Yuri glanced towards the front of the car again, “Those flowers, there was something weird about them wasn’t there? You’re going to find out what it was, we’re you?”

Damn Yuri and his observation skills, he should become a spy or something. He sighed, deciding on how best to talk around the subject. “To me they are not weird. I’m not interested in the how but rather the who. I am in fact going shopping, I’m just not going to the stores Yakov thinks I am.”

“Can I come?” Yuri looked extraordinarily curious.

“No, Yuri, you can’t. And it’s not because I’m being a dick, it’s just something I can’t bring you with me for.”

“It has to do with what you are, doesn’t it?” Yuri hissed.

Viktor raised an eyebrow, “And what do you think I am, Yuri?”

Yuri was thinking hard, but there was a visible sag in his shoulders at the question, “I don’t know. I just want to understand. What happened after Europeans…”

“Yuri, if I could tell you I would. But this is the one thing I can’t tell you about. I promise it’s nothing bad, nothing dangerous.”

“But Mila knows!” Yuri’s voice almost raised high enough to attract attention.

“Mila knows some things you don’t know simply because we were raised together, but there are plenty of things you know that she doesn’t. I’m not keeping things from you to be mean Yuri.”

“Will you ever tell me?”

Viktor thought about it, truthfully, honestly, before responding, “I am not suppose to, but I think I will someday. I don’t like the alternative so at some point I’m afraid I’ll have no choice.” He turned, facing Yuri, with a look of seriousness on his face, “When I tell you, you will have to keep it a secret your entire life. You will NEVER be able to tell anyone. Not Yakov, not your Grandpa, no one. Can you promise me that Yuri? Because if not, tell me now.”

Yuri nodded vigorously, “I can, I will, I promise. Tell me!”

Viktor smiled, “Not yet.” Yuri glared, about to argue, “It’s not time yet Yuri. And this is not the place. Just be patient, alright?”

Yuri huffed, “Fine. But I’m holding you to this.”

“Yes yes, I know,” Viktor mumbled.

There was a long pause and they neared the rink, but as the car slowed, Yuri spoke again, “That guy, he’s like you, isn’t he?”

Viktor looked at his young friend, “I don’t know, truthfully. Maybe. That’s what I intend to find out.”

“Is it bad if he is? Or if he isn’t?”

“Viktor smiled, “No, it’s fine either way, I’m merely curious.”

The car halted and Yakov ushered them out. Viktor was on the ice in record time and running through his program. It was a bit hard now though; program was based on a lot of negative emotions, and he was in a really good place today.

“It’s off today, Vitya,” Yakov noted quickly as Viktor skated over to his for some water. “Technically it’s perfect but your emotions aren’t in it at all.”

“I know. I’m not sure how to fix that right now.”

Yakov nodded, “Think about it today; focus on deeper emotions, not surface ones if you need to. The inspiration can change; you just need to approach it honestly.”

Viktor nodded and ran through it a few more times before hitting the shower. Yuri hadn’t practice with him, just watched and said nothing. That is until Viktor started changing into a sweater and a pair of jeans.

“I think you should come at it as a champion,” Yuri spoke suddenly.

Viktor looked at him, “What do you mean?”

“You’re the World Champion. You’re known for your happy as shit personality. You’re always fucking smiling, but we all know that’s just the public side; so why not think of it like you’re that guy, showing everyone that there’s more to you?”

Viktor pressed a finger to his lips, thinking, “You mean like telling everyone that I’m not perfect, but that it’s still ok, because even with all that crap I could still get here?”

Yuri shrugged.

Viktor nodded, “Thanks Yuri. You know, you’re really good at seeing other people honestly.”

Yuri growled a bit, kind of like an irritated cat, “Only so long as I’m stuck in your shadow. I’ll beat you soon enough and then you can be the observant one for once.”

Viktor chuckled, “Alright Yura. It’s a deal.” He finished lacing up his shoes. “Be a look-out for me while I head off? I don’t want anyone following me.”

“Media folks or skaters?”

“Either.”

Yuri nodded, “Teach me the Quad Flip when we get home.”

Viktor grinned, “You’re not ready for it, but I’ll help you perfect you’re Salchow.”

“Fine,” Yuri grumbled as Viktor hopped in a cab and headed off towards The Leaky Caldron, his phone buzzing with a text from Yuri, _All clear_.

Viktor smiled and allowed himself to relax in the back of the cab. It was a slow ride, and Viktor silently resolved to take the Tube back to the hotel, he was sure it would be far faster, not to mention cheaper. Finally when he was close enough he instructed the driver to pull over and handed the man the fare.

He spotted the magical pub in the distance. The Muggles passing didn't even notice it, but to him is was like it had flashing neon arrows pointing to it. He could feel the magic within it.

He approached the doors, unnoticed by anyone. The pub was a bit dark inside, but Viktor couldn't help but relax. He might not like wizards, but he was more comfortable in places where he could be honest about himself. Here his hair wasn't even that interesting, well, at least a little bit less interesting.

He approached the barkeep, "Excuse me, I think my friend was staying here last night, I just wanted to catch up with him if he was. His names Yuuri, he's Japanese."

The barkeep nodded, "He was here. If I recall correctly, he and Minako are shopping right now, they should be back to Apparate home from here," he nodded to a small corner designated for Apparition.

"Thanks," Viktor smiled, "let's hope I can catch up before they have to leave."

Viktor made his way back to the back entrance and to the stone walled courtyard. He may have never been there before, but the entrance to Diagon Alley was famous. He tapped his wand on a few bricks before stepping through the archway and into the busy shopping district.

He resisted the urge to just run shop to shop looking, taking his time and stopping in many of the stores, especially any he thought Yuuri might go to. He made sure to purchase something in most of the shops, simply giving his father’s name as payment. His Dad might not approve of much he did, but some purchases in Diagonal Alley wouldn't cause any trouble. At most his father might be surprised he was there.

He picked up a scarf for Yakov, some Muggle safe candy at the sweet shop for Yuri, as well as various bits for Mila, Georgi and Chris. He was impressed how many of the shops had Muggle safe items. "Hogwarts has had more Muggleborns attending lately," one shopkeeper told him, "they come here looking for presents for their families, or their parents are here to pickup school things I want to do a bit of shopping, so it doesn’t hurt to carry a few things for them."

He kept searching, eventually ending up in the bookstore which seemed like a promising location. The shop was huge, filled with books, and he found himself sorely tempted to browse the shelves for hours. He would need to pay a visit when he had more time.

He was sweeping through the aisles, his long hair sweeping behind him, when he spotted a mop of dark hair passing outside the window that looked like Yuuri's.

He dashed out of the store, only to find the person he was chasing was an older man. He had glasses like Yuuri, but they were rounded and the man, in addition to being at least 10 years too old, was also most definitely not Japanese. He apologized for his mistake, the man looking at him curiously as he continued down the road, bags swinging on his arms.

He checked a few other stores before making his way to a large joke store, entering before realizing exactly where he was.

"Viktor?" A red headed man looked at him questioningly.

He had forgotten that Angelina's husband owned a joke shop in Diagon Alley. "Ah yeah, you must be George."

George smiled, "I had no idea you'd be here today! Angelina will be sad to have missed you. We heard you won your competition, well done!"

"Oh," Viktor replied a bit awkwardly. He wasn't used to Wizards this friendly, "yeah, a friend of mine is here so I was trying to find him. His names Yuuri, he's Japanese. He would have been with an older Japanese woman, have you seen him?"

George seemed to think, "I think so, maybe 10 minutes ago." It took everything in Viktor not to sprint out the door that second. "Here," George pulled his attention back, wand in the air, quickly gathering a small pile of items and dropping them into the bag, "on the house. Try them out, stop by and buy some more when you come buy your books. Oh, and don't think of coming back without contacting Angelina. She'll be livid if we can't have you for dinner."

Viktor couldn't help but smile a bit; he supposed he shouldn't be surprised the man was so nice. "Can I ask you something?"

George nodded, "Course. If it's about jokes or Hogwarts I'm glad to answer 'em."

"Um, Angelina told me folks at Hogwarts are a lot more open to Muggle stuff than at Durmstrang, is that true?"

George grinned, "Course. Smartphones even work there now."

"They do?"

"Yup. Now let me ask you something." Viktor nodded, curious. "Are you part Vella? Never seen hair like yours ‘sept maybe my sister-in-law and she's a quarter. Yours is even more silvery."

Viktor burst out laughing, he'd been asked this before, but usually only after 'what's with the clothes? What is that box in your hand? Why were you talking to that Muggle?' It was refreshing to have his hair be the oddest thing about him for once.

"No, no Veela. My hair was actually blonde up until I was 11; it changed after my mother died. I guess the shock did it." Viktor shrugged, a part of him surprised how easily the answer came. The loss still hurt, but somehow it didn’t bother him to talk about it with this man. Perhaps there was a charm on this store making it impossible to be anything but cheerful.

He smiled and waved goodbye to the man and a few of his family members who had come to greet him, promising to return after his OWLs for dinner.

He continued searching, having no luck. He supposed it wasn’t surprising, Diagon Alley was a big and crowded place, finding two people in this mess was certainly a challenge. Finally, his phone chirped, letting him know that it was time he started heading back to the hotel. His time was up, and he hadn’t found Yuuri. He couldn’t help but be disappointed.

“Give ‘em Hell, Yuuri!”

Viktor nearly snapped his neck he turned it so quickly.

There, standing in the doorway of the sporting goods store was a man, waving happily down the street. Viktor turned and there, sputtering a bit, was Yuuri. He was carrying a box of skates and he was blushing furiously as the woman with him waved back at the shop keeper. And then Viktor saw what Yuuri was wearing, and his heart pounded.

A Hogwarts hoodie.

He was sorely tempted to run after him, but something stopped him.

Yuuri was a Hogwarts student, he had to be. Viktor had just been to the shop that sold those and had been told he couldn’t get a jacket until he’d officially been accepted; they were only for students and alumni. That meant…

Viktor grabbed his phone out of his pocket dialing quickly.

“Viktor I’m in class.” Otabek whispered on the other end of the line.

“Then why’d you answer?” Viktor asked cheekily.

Otabek grumbled, “Just get on with it”

“I’ve decided. I’m going to Hogwarts. I need you to help me study for my OWLs, especially the practical’s.”

“Fine, but what changed your mind?”

“I found him Beks.”

“Who?”

“You know. He’s here, he’s a wizard and he goes to…”

“MR. ATLIN! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING THAT MUGGLE DEVISE TO MY CLASS!”

The phone call was quickly cut-off. Viktor couldn’t help but snicker. He was about to head out, but something stopped him and he peaked into the sporting goods store.

It was amazing, filled with all sorts of Muggle sporting equipment, including, in the back, a large figure skating display complete with a poster of him!

“How can I help…” The shopkeeper stared at him. “It’s you…you’re him…you’re a…blimey, you’re a Wizard?”

“Surprise,” Viktor said lamely, a little embarrassed seeing a poster of himself.

“Wow, I had no idea. And we just had another Wizard skater in here. What are the chances?”

Viktor smiled, “If you wouldn’t mind, please keep my being a wizard quiet. I like to keep my two lives separate.”

“Huh? But why?

“Maybe someday I’ll be open about both sides of my life to the magical community, but right now I go to Durmstrang. It would be troublesome for me if this got out.”

The shopkeepers eyes darkened just a bit, “I see. That makes more sense now. Hey, you should try getting a transfer to Hogwarts! That’s where that other skater will be going.”

Viktor laughed, “I’ll look into that. I’m sorry but I need to go. I’ll be sure to come back next time I’m in the area. Those self-sharpening blades look excellent.”

“Best quality on the market!” The man hollered at him as Viktor left and made his way for the exit.

Yuuri was going to be an amazing skater, and this man had just confirmed he’d be at Hogwarts in the fall. Though, Viktor wondered, how he already had his acceptance confirmed? He must be an amazing student for them to have taken him so early. Viktor would have to work harder than he ever had in his life if he was going to be worthy of Yuuri.

He made his way out of Diagon Alley, texting Angelina as he went asking her for more Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons and help on his studying. He pretended like the more focused interest was because the skating season was over; he didn’t really want to have to explain that the thing that finally settled him on Hogwarts was a guy. That was kind of pathetic if he was honest with himself.

Soon he was out of the magical world, and two Tube rides later, back at his hotel, plenty early to grab a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant. He made sure to text Yakov letting him know he was back safe and sound and texted his friends with news that he had presents.

They came rushing down, making Viktor laugh. They were all internationally recognized skaters, but they knew Viktor had great tastes and always brought them the best gifts they could never find anywhere else. This time was no exception, with Mila being the only one with any clue where he got the unique items. Even Yuri seemed appeased by the candies.

They spent the afternoon together as a group, watching television, stretching and talking. It was as about as normal as an afternoon got for a group of skaters. A little over an hour before the start of the exhibition they were all corralled into taxis and on their way to the skating rink, Georgi and Chris making their way to the stands, while Yuri, Mila and Viktor began to change.

Soon they were all wrapped up in interviews; most of the questions were about the powerhouse team from Russia and Viktor’s own masterful skate. Many reporters wanted a preview of his skate that night, but he told them it was a new surprise program that he would only perform this one time. That seemed to stir them up. Surprising people really was the best.

He finally got away from the reporters as the Exhibition began and he made his way back to the skaters area to stretch and warm-up with Yakov and Yuri.

He suddenly felt someone catch his arm and drag him into a deserted hallway.

“Viktor,” the man’s French accent was thick in his ear.

“Killian,” Viktor responded, quietly. The man looked pissed, best not to make it worse.

“What the fuck, when you disappeared at Europeans I thought something really bad had happened, but then you don’t even text me? I know you have my number Viktor.”

“Correction, I had your number. I deleted it. And something did happen, I had to leave.”

“Why would you delete my number?”

“Because I don’t want to see you anymore.” Viktor sighed, he wasn’t handling this well, but then again after what happened last time he just wanted to get away from this situation.

Killian’s eyes looked angry and confused. “I thought, we’d been moving towards something for months. I thought you were on the same page, that we could maybe be together. Then you just decide you don’t want to speak to me?”

Shit. Viktor thought it was just fun and games to the Frenchman; he’d really fucked this up. “I’m sorry. At the time I wasn’t sure, I thought maybe I’d feel that way but I was sure you didn’t. And then after it happened I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

“But why? You enjoyed it; don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it!”

Viktor hadn’t actually, but that wasn’t because of anything physical. About halfway through his mind had kicked in and he realized just how empty he felt, how painful this felt, to be in the arms of someone who didn’t love him, who he didn’t love. The alcohol wearing off hadn’t helped either, the whole thing had been a bit dubious.

“It wasn’t that.”

“Then what was it? Are you just some sort of tease who enjoys playing without people? Or some sort of slut like everyone says you are? Or…”

Viktor shoved Killian away from him. “It’s because I’m in love with someone else!”

Killian’s eyes were wide, “What?”

Viktor breathed hard. What had he just said? In love? But he barely knew Yuuri, had only seen him a few times, only spoken for a minute at best. This couldn’t be love, there was no way it was love. And yet, as he rolled the words around on his tongue, they didn’t feel wrong; in fact, nothing had felt more right in his entire life.

“I’m in love with someone else. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s the truth. I don’t blame you for anything, but afterward, I felt terrible, like I was being torn apart. I’ve been in love with this person for a long time, but I didn’t have any hope, I wanted to forget, but that just made it worse.”

“Then let me help you forget. We don’t have to do that, we can just be together, go on dates! It’s the off season, we can travel together. I’ll prove to you I’m better than whoever this guy is.”

“Can’t I have school. Or did you forget I’m still basically a kid? Besides, it’s different now. I know what I want, and I have a plan.”

“Viktor…”

“I’m sorry, but it’s over.” Viktor shook free finally and walked away.

“It’s not over,” Killian whispered over his shoulder.

“It’s is.” Viktor spoke firmly, never believing anything more in his life, and walked away.

Viktor made his way to the main warm-up area, feeling suddenly lighter than he had in months. Dr. Petrov would be proud of him for facing this down.

“Viktor!” Yakov called. “Where have you been?”

“Dealing with the past,” Viktor muttered. Over his shoulder Killian stormed out of the hallway looking furious. Yakov’s eyebrows rose.

“Are you alright?”

Viktor nodded, “Yeah. It was the right thing to do.” Viktor sighed and looked up at his coach, “I’m going to skate my feelings out there. I think I need to say goodbye to all that pain as I move forward.”

Yakov smiled, “You know, you’re a pain in my ass, Vitya,” Viktor chuckled, “but I’m very proud of you.”

“Thanks Yakov.”

 

Viktor took to the ice to enormous applause. Based on the preshow interviews he had gained quite a following with his Free Skate. But that was nothing, he had so much more emotion to show now. Before he’d been crying out for his angel to watch him, but now he knew Yuuri was watching.

He smiled to himself, thinking of those chocolate eyes. He would reunite with Yuuri at Hogwarts and they’d take it slow. Not like him and Killian. He’d be Yuuri’s friend first, and they’d fall in love slowly, because as much as he felt for Yuuri now, he knew it was only the tip of what could be.

This skate wasn’t going to be asking Yuuri to watch him; it’d be honest, showing Yuuri all his flaws. He’d shown his perfection in his Free Skate, now he’d show his humanity. He hoped Yuuri was here tonight, but even if he wasn’t Viktor knew Yuuri would see this.

This skate for Yuuri and for himself.

His costume was white with a nearly transparent top, crystals glittering over his skin, and feathers dusting out from his shoulders. This program would be clean, honest, and heartfelt. He wondered if Yuuri would understand it. It seemed so sad, and until yesterday it had been. But now it was full of something so much more. He felt so much stronger now because now he had hope.

The music began and Viktor skated, moving his blades slowly, staying up on his toe picks, almost as if he were a ballerina, allowing his arms and body to tell his story. He didn’t set his blades and allow himself to slide until the song began to grow ever so slightly. There were jumps and spins, but the heart of this program was the feeling, the feeling of struggling against the weight of the world. As the first chorus began he flew into a Triple Axel, he’d seen Yuuri perform one in his video, he wondered if his could even compare.

His blades mournfully moved along the ice as he thought to himself, ‘Watch me Yuuri, see who I really am. No matter what your weaknesses, I will accept them, because I’m broken too.’ The original program hadn’t called for any Quads, Yakov preferring it if Viktor kept it simple. But Viktor didn’t want to be simple today as he took off into his now signature Quad Flip, landing it so easily now as the second chorus built, spiraling right into a Biellman spin.

The song grew quiet and he let himself just glide, ‘See me for who I am’ he thought. Finally as the last chorus hit its strongest notes, his body aching and tired, he threw caution to the wind and leapt into the Quad Toe Loop Triple Flip, the now familiar combination coming easily despite his fatigue.

He ended the program with a Sit spin before rising into an I-Spin. At least it was suppose to be, it turned into more of a Y-spin. ‘Ah Yura could have done that better. Oh well, I’m only human,’ he smirked to himself, throwing his arms into the arm and bringing his blades to a stop.

The roar was overwhelming, but in that moment the only sound in Viktor’s mind was his mother’s laugh. He could never forget her on the ice, no matter the distraction, she was there.

He skated off the ice after several bows. He noticed several blue roses on the ice; obviously Yuuri had some copycats. None were as perfect as the one Yuuri had magiced for him, so he focused on picking up the adorable poodle plushies that seemed to have multiplied since yesterday. There was even a cat which he picked up for Yuri.

Finally he exited the rink right into the waiting arms of Yakov who hugged him, rather uncharacteristically. “Well done Vitya, you certainly surprised me.”

Viktor grinned, before asking the question that had been plaguing him all week, “Do you think Mama would be proud?”

Yakov’s smile fell for a moment before it came back again, a little sadly, “Yes, I think she would.”

 

Viktor had no idea before Worlds that winning would mean _so_ many interviews. Immediately after his historic win he was swept away into appearance after appearance. London, New York, Shanghai, Moscow; all wanted to have him on their morning shows, complete with Gold medal and Russian jacket. They’d commented endlessly about how young he was, his usual but beautiful hair, his model-like looks as if he’d only just appeared on the earth, and not been here and indeed an active member of the skating world for the past 17 years. He’d answered the same questions over and over, only lamenting that he couldn’t just run off to Japan and search the entire country for his angel, no, Yuuri, his name was Yuuri.

Viktor smiled to himself. Yuuri in a Hogwarts jacket, he could be patient and meet him there. Was it September yet? He’d need to focus on studying more than ever now. He wasn’t going to give Hogwarts a reason to turn him away.

Now he was home, and he couldn’t help but take a huge breath when he looked up at the old manor house. He was suddenly reminded of the one time he’d brought Yakov here, the look on his face. Thinking back, it was lucky the anti-Muggle traps had been disabled that day, his mother always had hated them.

He wondered up the long pathway to the door, and slowly opened the front door, only to find himself flat on his back a second later, Makkachin happily snuggling against him, licking him excitedly.

Viktor laughed and scratched behind the dog’s ears, “I missed you too, Makka.”

“Viktor!” his father’s voice echoed through the house, sounding as if he was in the same room, yet Viktor knew that the man would be found in his study. He sighed and lifted himself from the floor. Maybe, just maybe his father would be pleased by his accomplishments.

Viktor moved slowly through the house, Makkachin following close behind him. He gently opened the door to his father’s study, “I’m home.”

Suddenly he was yanked inside, the door slamming closed behind him, just missing Makka by the yelp that sounded on the other side of the door. Then a hard, flat hand slapped across his face hard enough to throw him to the ground, dazed, cheek throbbing painfully.

His father threw a folder at him, its contents pouring out like some lame television trope, falling into Viktor’s lap. “Do you want to explain that?” his father practically spit the words as Viktor picked up the photos with trembling fingers.

Him flirting with a Canadian, him sitting in the lap of an American, him making out with Chris, a selfie of him grinding against the French silver medalist at Europeans, oblivious to the camera; and finally, Viktor felt the bile rise in his throat as he stared at the picture of him laying on the bed, eyes closed tight as his body was used.

How had he not noticed this picture being taken so close to him, clearly showing what was being done to his body? It must have been right as his mind had begun crying out the wrongness of this moment. He’d closed his eyes, willing the horrible thoughts away.

It had been all he could do to hold back his tears till it was over. It wasn’t Killian’s fault he had freaked out, nor was it his fault for having carried on. Viktor hadn’t stopped, had never said no, how was he to know that inside Viktor’s own mind he’d been breaking down, in agony as he realized how much he wanted to be loved, and how hollow this moment felt.

But what was Killian’s fault were these photos now strewn around his father’s office, and over Viktor’s lap.

“Dad I…”

“You will shut up and listen for once in your life Viktor. I have already taken care of this,” he motioned to the photos.

“You didn’t hurt him did you?” Viktor might dislike the man, but he wouldn’t want to see him hurt.

“Of course not, I simply force him to delete the photos and all of his backups and then erased his memory of my being there, or of him ever taking them in the first place. I, unlike you, am thorough and precise.”

Viktor couldn’t help but sigh in relief.

“What kind of man are you,” his father whispered, furiously, “to do these things, to let people see you like this! Your mother would be ashamed!”

Viktor snapped, “Maybe so but we’ll never know now will we? She’s dead dad! All because you weren’t here! You wouldn’t let her get help, see a doctor! I was the one who cared for her when she was too sick to get out of bed and I was the one who found her after she died! Not you, ME! You couldn’t even be bothered to notice she needed a doctor!”

His father looked at him, eyes wide in shock. There was a long moment of silence. And then his father laughed.

It was ugly, angry, and it made Viktor’s blood run cold.

“That’s what you think happened you stupid boy? You think she was sick? That some medicine would have helped her? How blind are you? I can understand a small boy to not understand but you are a man now Viktor, use your brain. Your mother didn’t die of some illness; she chose this!”

Viktor began to shake, “What do you mean? Mama was sick; she was in bed all the time. She could barely eat.”

“She chose this Viktor; it wasn’t he body that was sick but her mind. And I tried to help her, tried to get her help, but she refused me, pushed me away. You want to know why I was never here? Because she didn’t want me to see her like that, because it was too painful to watch her slowly kill herself. And that’s what she did in the end. She did it to herself.”

“No! I don’t believe you!”

“It’s the truth Viktor,” more folders were flying up and out of drawers, photos, medical reports, police reports plastered across the air right in front of him, his eyes forced to see his mother’s lifeless body and the words “self-inflicted” again and again, plastered over page after page. A picture of a bottle found lying beside her hand, containing, not medicine like Viktor had assumed, but poison.

“No!” Viktor wailed, tears filling his tears. “Why would she do that? WHY?! Why would she leave me?”

“Leave you? Don’t you forget she left me too you selfish, spoiled boy. You think you’re so special because your mother loved you? Well you’re no more special than me since she left you just as surely as she left me!”

His father turned his back then, angry magic seething from his pours. “Get. Out.” He whispered in a deadly tone.

Viktor didn’t need telling twice. His bags were still by the stairs where he’d left them and he flung them out the door with his wand, catching a worried looking Makka by the collar and directing him out the front door until they were at the road. Viktor raced down the street, bag rolling behind him and Makka right on his heels, and he didn’t stop till he entered that familiar place, his true home.

The ice was pristine, quiet, and cold. Perfect.

And then the tears came, one after another, falling thickly on his cheeks as he sank to the floor, Makka nuzzling against him, gently licking the saltiness from his face.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, but the tears seemed to have long since dried when he heard his name.

“Viktor.”

He couldn’t help but smile, of course Yakov was here. Ah that one perfect constant in his life. Yakov was stumping towards him looking angry.

Yakov grabbed his chin, gently, but still Viktor felt himself wince and stiffen, he’d forgotten about that; it was really starting to hurt. For a moment he thought he might be hit again.

“What happened, are you alright?” Yakov’s tone was unnaturally gentle.

Viktor couldn’t help but chuckle darkly. Of course Yakov wouldn’t hurt him. He hated himself a bit for thinking he would be hit by the man who had been his true father for many years now.

“I’m ok,” he spoke softly and dug through his bag, pulling out the photos, all but the worse one, and laid them on the floor in front of Yakov. “These were sent to my house. Dad wasn’t happy.”

Yakov’s eyes widened, “What did they want? Who had them? We’ll call the lawyers and get them to…”

“It’s ok Yakov. Dad was pissed, but you know he won’t let anyone drag down the Nikiforov name, especially with something as seedy as this. He already dealt with it.”

“He paid them off?”

“Something like that,” Viktor felt tears prickle in his eyes. “It’s so dumb. I’ve wanted my dad to protect me for years, and he finally does and then he does this,” he motioned to his face. “A part of me wants to hug him and thank him, and a part of me wants to spit in his face. Why can’t he just be one or the other? It’s so complicated.” He sank to the floor, clutching in on himself.

Awkwardly Yakov kneeled beside him, “Your father is a complicated man. I can’t even begin to pretend I understand him. How you grew up so relatively normal in that house…your mother must have been amazing.”

Viktor felt it crash back in on him with the mention of mother. She hadn’t been sick, at least not physically. No, no, she was sick. Just because it didn’t come with a fever didn’t mean she wasn’t sick. If only someone like Dr. Petrov had been there for her.

He began to cry, “Did you know Yakov?”

Yakov stared at him, curious.

“Did you know Mama killed herself?”

Yakov’s face fell, “I had suspected. I wasn’t family so they wouldn’t tell me of course, but from what I saw it seemed pretty likely. When did you find out?”

“Today, I had no idea. I feel like such a fool.”

“Viktor you were 11…”

“That’s no excuse. I knew her best, better than anyone, I should have understood! I shouldn’t have left that day!” God it hurt.

“Viktor,” Yakov’s voice was gentle, but there was still some of Yakov’s trademark sternness under it all. “I want you to meet with Dr. Petrov tomorrow, and every day after that she wishes to see you. In the meantime I want you to focus on what you want. You’ve won your gold, what’s next?”

Yuuri’s face flashed into Viktor’s mind. He couldn’t help but flush with guilt. Here he was mourning his mother all over again and at one word he would forget her for Yuuri. What kind of son was he?

But still…

“I want to get into that new school. I want to see Yuuri again. I want to skate with him. I want to win more.”

Yakov nodded, more than likely not completely understand but letting it slide anyways, “Then focus on what you need to do to get those things. You have exams coming up, yes? Then focus on studying for those. Give them your all. As far as what you’re feeling, what would you mother tell you to do about it?”

Viktor looked up at his coach, “She’d want me to skate. She’d want me to show her what I was feeling with my blades.”

Yakov smiled, “You’ve been wanting to choreograph your own programs for a long time now. Why not use next year’s programs to express what you’re feeling now? Your mother may be gone, but she did promise you she’d always be watching when you skate.”

The idea struck Viktor hard. Mama was watching him skate. Yuuri was watching him skate. What if he skated for both of them, one program to show mama how much he missed her, one to show Yuuri just what seeing him skate did for him, and his exhibitions, the only programs Yakov had let him choreograph before, maybe he could use that to just talk about himself again. It had felt so good at Worlds to just be honest about his own feelings. He could do that again, but with all three programs. It would be strong, much stronger than this season.

“I’ll need to take a few weeks off practice.” He spoke quickly, new determination setting in. “My friend at school plays Rugby so I’ll train with him. I’ll focus on my legs and stamina. I’ll need to study a lot, I’ve been sort of neglecting it all term, but I’ll also work on choreographing my programs. I’ll check in on weekends to show you my progress and meet with Dr. Petrov. Is that ok?”

Yakov was smiling, “And what will your theme be for next season?”

Viktor grinned, “Hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I told you it'd end with hope. ;)
> 
> Viktor's Exhibition is [Only Human, cover by Madilyn Bailey](https://youtu.be/xtSye1rio40).
> 
> I don't think there will be another chapter this week. A nasty cold is ripping through my family and I remain the sole survivor, crafting vats of Chicken Noodle soup and giant jugs of sports drink while I chug vitamin C and wash my hands religiously. So, while the next chapter is well on the way to complete, I'm not confident enough to promise it for tomorrow. I also ask that you forgive me for any dumb errors I missed in editing, I wasn't able to run this as carefully as I normally do since I'm kinda all over the place. If you see something, feel free to call it out in the comments and I'll fix it.
> 
> When chapter 23 comes, we'll be back in Hogwarts for a chapter or two, and then we're going to get into the competitive season. And, because I tortured you last week, here's a little apology preview of next chapter:
> 
> _They stayed that way for a long while, neither feeling compelled to move, and as Yuuri rested against Viktor, something settled deep within him. He’d had feelings for Viktor for a very long time, but in that moment he convinced himself to ignore his own fears and just move forward towards wherever this path would lead. Viktor was letting him in, so he would let Viktor in, little by little._
> 
> _“Yuuri, would you do me a favor?”_
> 
> _“Hmm?” Yuuri mumbled, contentedly._
> 
> _“When we’re alone like this, would…would you call me Vitya?”_
> 
> Thank you again for reading. I really appreciate comments or questions. I will answer whatever I can. Music suggestions are also appreciated. They really inspire me. I've got quite a list planned, but there can always be more. :)
> 
>  


	23. Unbreakable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you're seated somewhere comfy as your prepare for all the fluff in this chapter.

Practice was quieter that day, Viktor disappearing for a short while into Dr. Petrov’s office the moment she arrived. When he returned, determination seemed to permeate the rink as the skaters worked on their programs.

Yuuri for his part felt oddly calm, unable to get the sound of that song or the way Viktor’s blades had moved out of his head. He spent a long time after Viktor left the ice focusing on calming footwork and perfecting the way his edges moved along the ice, thinking over the beautiful song.

Yakov had made the rounds, working with each skater, even sparing some time for Yuuri. He’d cleared the ice having Yuuri attempt a Quad Flip again, nodding with some unknown satisfaction even as Yuuri completely blew the landing. Yuuri left the practice with a small list of exercises to add to his routine that should help build the strength he needed to master more Quads.

Yuuri found it peculiarly difficult to say goodbye to his new found friends. Despite how at home he felt at Hogwarts, he was truly sad to be leaving this rink, especially knowing Viktor and Mila would be returning here without him in less than a week. His only solace was in knowing that the better he got, the more likely it was he could afford a coach like Yakov. He filed it away among his list of long term goals. Someday he’d earn the freedom to choose this rink as his home rink if he desired it.

They made their way quietly back to Viktor’s apartment and their waiting bags. Mila was listening to her Free Skate music, dancing along as they walked, trying to cement the choreography into her mind. Viktor simply stared straight ahead, that sense of unease he carried when he was outside in Russia evident in the set of his shoulders.

They entered Viktor’s apartment and without a word Mila went through the fireplace with Makka in tow. Yuuri allowed himself a moment to look around the apartment one last time before he made to follow her, but stopped short when Viktor grabbed his arm.

“Yuuri wait.” Yuuri blinked at him. He hadn’t realized it till just now but this was really the first time Viktor had spoken to him since he woke up. “I know I’ve been acting differently today; it must have been uncomfortable for you.”

“No it’s ok…”

“No, it’s not. I shut you out.” He sighed and then looked right into Yuuri’s eyes with such earnest that Yuuri wouldn’t have been able to look away no matter how hard he tried. “I want you to feel comfortable talking to me when I get like this. This happens sometimes and I’m sure it’ll happen again. I wish I could say this is the worst of it, but that’s not true.

“When it happens, I want you to know that it’s ok for you to be there. I wouldn’t let you into my room or my apartment if I didn’t trust you enough to let you into my space when I’m hurting. I want you there, if you’re willing to put up with me, of course.”

“Of course!” Yuuri bit his lip, the question spilling out, “Why are you so sad? Why are your programs crying?”

Surprisingly, Viktor smiled. “I didn’t have a very good childhood, and a lot of things happened last season that just brought it all to the forefront. I’ve been dealing with it, but it’s hard sometimes, especially when I have the nightmares. It’s not like the fog. I’ve been having that dream off and on since I was 12 or so. These are different, new, and more vivid. They remind me of things I’d rather forget.”

Yuuri kept his eyes locked on Viktor’s letting him speak, unsure what to say.

“You know, I never cried from the age of 3 until I was 16.”

“Never?”

“Not even once. Until I saw that video of you skating.”

Yuuri’s eyes went wide, “Was it that bad?”

Viktor laughed, hugging him and whispering into his shoulder, “No, it was that good. I could feel your emotions, every one of them pouring out of you. You had everything I wanted to gain in my skating, and it was beautiful. So I cried.”

Yuuri didn’t know what to think, but Viktor was smiling and laughing, so it couldn’t be that bad. “I hadn’t cried in 13 years and now I cry all the time. And you know what, it’s ok! It feels so good to finally let it out. It’s made my skating better too. I don’t think I would have qualified for the GPF last year without all this emotion; let alone won Worlds. I know this sadness and emotion is hard to watch, but I feel so much better than I ever have because of it; because of you, Yuuri.

“So I hope you’ll bear with me while I work through all of these things. I think once I get my heart settled a bit more, I’ll be an even more amazing skater.”

He looked so serious that Yuuri couldn’t help but giggle, “Humble are we?”

Viktor grinned, teeth showing as one side of his mouth curved up a bit more than the other, “Just stating the truth baby,” and he winked.

Yuuri had to take a deep breath. He’d seen cute and affectionate Viktor and thought that was Viktor’s flirt mode, but no, he hadn’t seen anything yet. Viktor wasn’t even warmed up and it was already scalding to be under that gaze it was so heated. Would he survive having the full force of it focused on him someday?

Because it would happen someday, wouldn’t it?

A small pang of worry nestled into his brain as they gathered their things and returned to a happily waiting Makkachin.

They spent the afternoon studying, several of their friends helping them with anything they didn’t quite understand. The work took surprisingly little time when he was working together with Viktor, who was a lot cleverer than some people in the skating world gave him credit for.

Before dinner Viktor decided he needed a shower, so Yuuri asked if he could borrow Makka for a walk, and soon found himself circling the lake slowly. That small knot of anxiety he always carried with him seemed to have reared its head a bit in the short while he’d been back, slowly feeling more and more disconnected from his body.

Viktor had flirted with him today, and Yuuri had liked it. He wanted Viktor to do it more. But he was afraid.

He felt like he knew Viktor, but truthfully he didn’t. What if Viktor changed his mind about pursuing him? He was operating under the assumption that it was safe to let himself start to fall for his idol, but was it really? He didn’t know much, but he knew that Viktor had a lot of power over him right now; heartbreak from Viktor wasn’t something Yuuri would get up from easily.

Viktor seemed to want him to be open with him, but could he do that? Could he get past his own anxiety enough to just talk to Viktor about his worries?

His phone buzzing in his pocket stirred him from his thoughts. He looked down at the display and couldn’t help but laugh; how did Yuuko always know?

“Hey Yuuko, shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Well I was, but then I woke up and just had this feeling I needed to call you.”

Yuuri chuckled, “I swear you have EPS or something.” Either that or Yuuri’s magic somehow was responsible, which he really hoped wasn’t possible.

“Only when it comes to you. So, what’s up?”

Yuuri sighed, wondering how much Yuuko knew.

“Is this about Viktor? Phichit said he was group chatting with you guys last night.”

Yuuri smiled, “Yeah. I’m just worrying, you know, like usual.”

“You know what I am going to say, Yuuri, so why don’t you just tell me what’s really up. I do want to get some sleep you know.”

Yuuri grimaced, “He’s made it pretty clear he likes me, but he wants to take it slow, get to know each other.”

“Ok, I’m failing to see the problem here.”

“I’m starting to fall really hard for him, and I’m scared of what happens if I do. What if…what if he gets to know me and decides he doesn’t like me anymore?”

Yuuko actually laughed, “Oh Yuuri, you’re so dumb sometimes. Look, have you really looked at that group picture you sent Phichit last night?”

“Uh, yeah I mean…”

“No you haven’t, because if you did you would see what me, Phichit, Takeshi, and apparently your friend Otabek all saw.”

“Huh, you’re talking to Otabek?”

“Phichit messaged him privately for the inside dirt on you and Viktor.”

“Please tell me he kept his mouth shut.”

“Baka,” she giggled, “all your friends were stealing his phone tell us how you two are _always_ together, and how some part of you is always touching the other. And before you say it, it’s definitely not one sided. They said the classes Viktor’s not in with you he totally mopes the whole time, doodling in his notebook and everything. He’s apparently studying late every night too just so he has more time to spend with you and so he looks cool. He’s afraid you’re too good for him.”

“No way,” Yuuri felt like his face was on fire he was so embarrassed.

“It’s true, I’ve seen pictures. Now, if you’re feeling insecure, go talk to him, but first look at that photo from yesterday. Really look at it. Alright? I think you’ll feel better if you do.”

Yuuri sighed, leaning down to pet Makkachin, “Thanks Yuuko.”

“No problem, just remember to chose me over Phichit for your best ‘man’.”

Yuuri nearly fell over, “Yuuko!”

She giggled, “Night Yuuri.”

He hung-up and scrolled through his photos, finding the one he sent Phichit last night. At first glance it looked like Viktor was looking right at the camera, but Yuuri had been looking at pictures of Viktor long enough to know something was off. That’s when he noticed it. Viktor’s eyes were looking just slightly off to the side, looking at him. It was subtle, but Viktor was definitely watching him.

Yuuri couldn’t help but blush, this was a look Yuuri hadn’t seen, and he couldn’t help but hope that face was reserved for when Viktor was secretly looking at him and him alone.

He checked his watch; it was almost time for dinner. He took Makka back to the castle and a waiting Winky before making his way to the Great Hall, feeling at least a little more confident. He resolved himself to talk to Viktor tonight.

The Hall was mostly empty, as he was still a few minutes early so he sat at the Gryffindor table. He could move if he friends wanted when they arrived.

He let his thoughts drift, wondering if he could catch Viktor looking at him like that again, maybe he could ask Riko to snap a picture if she saw it. Mila would do it, but Mila would also blab. Riko at least spoke Japanese so he could plot with her in secret.

He suddenly felt like Makkachin had jumped on top of him, “Yuuuuri!” Viktor cooed in his ear as he flopped on top of him before slipping into the seat beside Yuuri. Yuuri made a mental note that he’d never seen Viktor do that to someone else.

Now that he was aware of it, he was determined to note every way Viktor treated him differently than others. The part of him that was terrified that falling in love with Viktor would be dangerous seemed to grow calmer at these small interactions.

Riko, Mil and Sara plopped into the seats across from them, and soon the girls were teasing Viktor about his closet being ridiculously large after Mila had apparently snapped a picture that weekend to show the girls. Yuuri had seen the door but hadn’t looked inside. It was even bigger than the bathroom.

Viktor was pouting, complaining that he needed the space, and soon he and Mila were bickering in fast Russian, while Yuuri sat watching, silently cataloging every action, setting at ease a piece of his mind that worried some part of Viktor was an act.

 

As they were leaving dinner Yuuri reached out and tugged on the sleeve of Viktor’s shirt.

“Can we talk?”

Viktor nodded and followed Yuuri until they found a quiet alcove where it seemed unlikely they would be disturbed.

“What did you want to talk about?” Viktor cocked his head to the side much as Makkachin had a habit to do, and Yuuri found it adorable. He breathed deeply, turned, and hugged Viktor tight. There was an awkward moment when Viktor stood a bit stunned, but he then relaxed and gently hugged Yuuri back.

They stayed that way for a long time, not that time mattered anymore. A secret part of Yuuri that even he hadn’t know was there seemed to settle, cementing into a foundation within his heart.

“Thank you for taking me to Russia,” Yuuri whispered.

Viktor leaned back for a moment so Yuuri could see his smile before enveloping him even more tightly into a hug. “Believe me, it was my pleasure.” There was a long pause before Viktor spoke again.

“Is it alright if I clarify something for you?”

Yuuri looked up at him but Viktor just grinned.

“I know you, Yuuri, you’re going to think about the things I told you and about this weekend, and over time your anxiety is going to tell you that you aren’t special to me. That I’m only your friend because it’s convenient, that the way I treat you is just like how I treat everyone.”

Yuuri smirked inwardly, thinking about his call with Yuuko, he thought about telling Viktor he was working on that unfortunate habit, but he also really wanted to see what Viktor would say next. Maybe he could add a few more things to his list. Some part of him purred inside at the thought.

“I want you to know right now, you’re wrong. You’re the most special person to me Yuuri. You have no idea how much you have inspired me.”

Yuuri’s heart skipped a beat, more than one, maybe it skipped out on its basic function all together, deciding instead to join up with his brain staring at Viktor with their mouth’s hanging open in shock, because Yuuri was pretty sure both had short circuited.

“The reasons I hesitate to tell you things about me isn’t because of anything you’ve done; it’s because I’m not strong enough yet to will myself to say the words. I know my exhibition looks sad, but it’s actually my way of motivating myself to be stronger. That even though I’m hurting, I need to be strong so that I can let you in. There’s things I need to tell you, and all the things I want to do I can’t do until I’m strong enough to tell you everything.”

“You don’t have to if it’s too hard,” Yuuri whispered. What did Viktor want to tell him? More importantly, what did Viktor want to do? Because Yuuri was pretty sure he was about 3 seconds from pushing Viktor into a wall and shoving his tongue into his mouth.

“I do,” Viktor said fiercely, “I’m not as strong as you think I am. If I were to push now, I would only drag you down with me. I’d ruin everything. I know that sounds melodramatic, but believe me, I know.”

Viktor gently tugged Yuuri closer to him, deeper into the alcove.

“My exhibition, it’s an acknowledgement of all the sad things that are weighing me down and a reminder to me to be stronger than them. It’s actually a hopeful song to me, it’s not saying I can be stronger, it’s saying that I _am_ stronger than I think.”

He smiled down at Yuuri, “I’ll show it to you as soon as I’m ready to tell you everything, and then, I’ll retire the program.”

Yuuri looked up, “You’ll retire it after I see it?”

Viktor nodded, “Because then I’ll be ready for my new program. Remember when I said I would create a program just for you? That’ll be my new program. I’m dedicating my current Exhibition to all my friends for giving me so much strength, but the new program will be just for you.” He grinned, “I think you’ll understand when you see it.”

Yuuri had to focus very hard on breathing, “Will it be sad?”

Viktor smiled and moved just a little closer, that burning, smoldering gaze coming to life ever so slightly within his eyes. “Not even a little bit.” He paused, and pulled back a bit, looking Yuuri in the eyes, “I need to tell you one thing now though.”

Yuuri nodded, a small shiver running down his spine.

“I might be in a good place now, but these things, they don’t just go away, they’re going to keep pulling at me. I might have days like today when I’m sad, but you should know that’s ok. Just be here when I come back from it, that’s all I need. You have no idea how great it was seeing you out of the corner of my eye as I struggled through it all this morning. It was like this ray of light piercing my darkness.”

“So I just need to be there?”

Viktor smiled and nodded, then pulled them over to the wall, sitting them down against it, Viktor’s arms wrapping around him as he gently leaned their heads against each other; it was very intimate.

“There may be days when I can’t find hope, Yuuri; when that happens, will you find me and be my light? Will you help me find my way back?”

“Yes.” Yuuri wished there was a more elegant way to commit to this, but his brain seemed to be diverting all power to his eyes, ears and sense of touch; speech was not a priority right now.

“What can I do to help you, Yuuri? This is a two way street, I’ll always be there for you too.”

To be honest, he had no idea. No one had ever really asked how to help Yuuri through his fears and anxieties, Viktor was the first. As he thought back on the past week, he had to acknowledge that his brain had been far more silent that usual. Sure, he’d had his attack a week ago, but Viktor had pulled him out. And now the voices in his head were nearly silent. Yuuri didn’t like to admit it, but it was because of Viktor.

“Just this,” he finally whispered, leaning into Viktor and closing his eyes. “This is good.”

They sat there together for several minutes, in silence, just resting together. “I’d like to tell you something that no one else knows,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri swallowed, “You don’t have to…”

“I want to.”

His eyes were so clear and blue, staring right into Yuuri’s own, and Yuuri found he couldn’t look away, couldn’t speak, so he just nodded.

Viktor looked down slightly, but somehow kept eye contact as he quietly spoke, “My dad has hit me a total of 3 times. Yakov and Dr. Petrov know about two of them, but they don’t know about the first time. Only my mother did.”

“Did?”

“She’s dead; has been for a long time.”

Yuuri felt something sink in his gut, “I’m sorry.”

Viktor shook his head, “It’s alright, it’s the past now. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.” He sighed, “I was 3 years old. My dad is a Potion maker and an Alchemist, so we have a huge workroom in the basement full of weird stuff. Our family is really old and rich, so he doesn’t have to work, but he likes it, so he does it. He’s pretty successful too. Our money lets him focus on research rather than paying the bills.

“I went down there that day because Mama was taking a nap and I was bored. Dad was working and didn’t notice me so I started poking around.” He grimaced, “Always a bad idea to poke around in a potions laboratory. I spilled a whole jar of Bubotuber Puss all over my arm, which as I’m sure you know, hurts like hell.

“I was screaming in pain, crying. Dad was furious but he treated my arm quickly, making the pain go away almost as fast as it came. He was patching me up, lecturing me about how what I’d done was dangerous. He was yelling, I think, now that I look back on it, he was scared. I could have died.

“It was freaking me out though. Dad’s a hard ass now, but he used to be a fairly gentle guy. I’m pretty sure that was the first time he ever yelled. It scared me, so I was crying; crying so hard I couldn’t listen to him.

“That’s when he hit me. It wasn’t hard; just a light slap on my cheek, but it shook me. He looked me in the eyes and told me that men didn’t cry. That we needed to be strong and if we were too busy crying, we couldn’t take care of the things we needed to watch over. I think now he was trying to tell me that if he had let himself cry just then he wouldn’t have been able to react so fast and protect me, that sometimes you have to set aside your own pain so you can protect someone else.

“But I was a kid, and I didn’t understand it. I thought he meant I should never cry, so I didn’t. Not for 13 years.”

“Until you saw me?”

Viktor nodded, “Dad hit me the second time when I was 11, right after mom died. That one actually hurt. I don’t have any defense for him for that one, or for any of what happened then.”

Yuuri looked at him curiously, but Viktor’s eyes had grown dark, and Yuuri could tell he wasn’t ready to talk about it. He couldn’t help the spark of pain that ran through him as he realized Viktor must not have cried when his mother died, the pain of such a thing must have been horrible.

“The third time was right after the World Championship.”

Yuuri gasped, “Why? Was he mad you were with Muggles? Did he see me give you those flowers and think I was a Muggle and he got mad? Is it my fault?”

Viktor placed a finger over Yuuri’s lips, and Yuuri’s heart sped up about 6 notches. “It wasn’t your fault. Dad doesn’t watch me skate. I can’t remember him ever doing so even when I was younger, so he wouldn’t have seen that.

“I had,” he paused, thinking, “associated with someone who wasn’t good for me. I was trying to get away from them, but they took it way too far. My dad found out and he was angry with me. Hit me pretty hard. I still have mixed feels about that. I never know if he loves me or hates me, if I’m being honest. Maybe it’s a bit of both.”

Yuuri looked up at Viktor, noticing something for the first time, “You’ve grown?”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, I was just thinking back to Worlds. You’re taller since then.”

Viktor laughed, “I don’t know how you do it Yuuri, just when my mind is about to go to some dark place you pull me back.” He chuckled, “Yeah, I’ve grown a few centimeters since then. My body is changing really fast right now. It’s actually making it difficult to plan my programs because my proportions are evolving so drastically that it keeps throwing off my technique. Plus I can’t pull off that blurred gender, innocent look anymore.”

“Maybe you should cut your hair. I mean, I like it,” Yuuri stammered a bit, looking at the long strands, “but it could help you change that image.”

He didn’t know what possessed him but he reached out and ran his fingers through the ends of the strands. They were amazingly soft and well cared for.

“I can’t cut it,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri looked up at him, his eyes were fixed on Yuuri’s fingers in his hair, but he didn’t seem upset. “What do you mean you can’t cut it?”

Viktor shook his head, “I can’t…I can’t talk about that yet. I just can’t.”

Yuuri looked down, focusing on the strands, “Will you tell me someday?”

Viktor nodded and Yuuri smiled, “Ok then.”

They stayed that way for a long while, neither feeling compelled to move, and as Yuuri rested against Viktor, something settled deep within him. He’d had feelings for Viktor for a very long time, but in that moment he convinced himself to ignore his own fears and just move forward towards wherever this path would lead. Viktor was letting him in, so he would let Viktor in, little by little.

“Yuuri, would you do me a favor?”

“Hmm?” Yuuri mumbled, contentedly.

“When we’re alone like this, would…would you call me Vitya?”

Yuuri breathed, glancing up at Viktor, which was a bit challenging since they were still leaning together. “Is that a nickname? I heard Yakov call you it.”

Viktor nodded, “It’s a term of endearment in Russia, and if you’re comfortable with it, I’d like you to use it.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile, “Alright, Vitya,” he whispered.

He heard Viktor’s breath catch in a very satisfying way. “What should I call you? In Russia it’d be Yura or Yurchatka, but what were you called in Japan?”

“Um, well I was mostly called Yuuri-kun or Yuuri-chan. Someone could call me Yuu-chan I guess, but that’s what everyone calls my friend Yuuko so that would be weird.” Yuuri bit his lip slightly, “I kind of like Yura, if you want to use that.”

Viktor leaned, somehow, even closer. “Ok, Yura.” He paused and then murmured, curiously. “So what would my name be in Japan? Vik-chan? Vi-kun?”

Yuuri buried his face in his hands.

“Yura? What is it? Is it bad?”

Yuuri moaned, before sitting up quickly, nearly head butting Viktor, “Fine, I give!” Viktor looked confused and Yuuri sighed, “It’s Vicchan.”

“Vicchan…isn’t that your dog’s name?”

Yuuri stared him right in the eyes, “Yes.”

Viktor blinked, “Does that mean…?”

“His name is Viktor.” He paused, “I named him after you, but Viktor is hard to say for Japanese people, so my mom gave him the nickname and it stuck.”

Viktor’s cheeks were flushed, “You named your dog after me?”

Yuuri chewed his lip, slowly lowering his head to stare at his sneakers, “Yeah, I know it’s weird and creepy and…”

“I’m honored.” Yuuri’s head snapped up. “I’ve seen how you are with Makkachin; you must love your Vicchan so much. To have him named after me,” he bit his lip, looking really adorable, “shit, I kind of want to cry. That’s really sweet. Please tell me I can meet Vicchan.”

“Of course, you’re coming to visit the Onsen during the summer. Vicchan will be there. You can bring Makka too. I’m sure they’d be fast friends.”

He felt Viktor stir beside him, suddenly dropping his forehead on Yuuri’s shoulder, “You’re killing me Yura. Every time I think I can’t be any happier, you go and say something like that.”

Yuuri giggled, “You should talk, telling me you’re going to publically skate a program just for me and asking me to call you Vitya.”

They talked for hours, neither willing to move from that spot; in fact it was almost curfew before they even thought about moving.

“Yura,” Viktor whispered just after Yuuri had noted the time.

“Hmm?”

“I don’t like that we’ll be apart next weekend.”

Yuuri couldn’t disagree, he didn’t like it either, and he softly muttered his agreement, noticing idly that his fingers were intertwined with Viktor’s hair again, something that had been happening on and off at regular intervals.

“I really liked being a part of a team, even if only for 3 days. Back home it’s just me and Phichit, but mostly just me lately since Phichit had school and I had a break while I waited to come to Hogwarts. Here is better since there are the three of us, but Russia was the best. I never knew I’d enjoy it that much. I honestly thought there’s be a ton of pressure with so many people, but it was just so full of support I never felt pressured at all.”

Viktor seemed to be thinking, “What if we created a team here?”

Yuuri looked up at him, their faces were very close and Yuuri could almost imagine leaning in and kissing Viktor. Almost, but his gut said it wasn’t time yet. They hadn’t even held hands tonight. It was too early for a kiss. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you and I have been working with Otabek for our training already, and I actually talked to Sara about doing some dance work together. I know she and Leo were planning to get together with you to work on your dance for that Muggle Studies club soon.” Yuuri truthfully, had forgotten all about that.

“So instead of teammates, it would be more like coaches?”

Viktor nodded, “Maybe trainers is a better word? They could help you with specific parts of your training. Otabek’s the one who designed my exercise routine, so I know he wouldn’t mind helping you. As far as teammates, who knows? Maybe some of the skating club members will start wanting to skate seriously, anything could happen.”

“I could also set-up Skype calls with Celestino while I practice and Phichit practices, then it’d be like we’re almost working together.”

Viktor grinned, “We could call you from Russia too! Then you could see how much Yakov yells at me! He was uncharacteristically nice this weekend.”

Yuuri laughed, “He might yell at you, but I can tell he cares.”

Viktor smiled, leaning back, “Da, he does.”

A text message pinged in Yuuri’s pocket; it was Jo reminding him not to be late. Yuuri sighed. “I suppose we should be going to bed.”

Viktor helped him to his feet before pulling him in for another hug; Yuuri couldn’t help but relax into it. “That’s probably a good thing,” Viktor whispered into his ear, “much longer and I wouldn’t be able to hold back.”

Viktor’s eyes were on fire again and Yuuri felt like he might soon be engulfed in flames.

Viktor took his hands and pulled gently, leading him to Gryffindor common room before Yuuri even had time to process their destination. “You didn’t have to walk me here,” he whispered.

“Sure I did,” Viktor’s voice was low, making Yuuri’s whole body tingle, “it would have been irresponsible of me to dazzle you and then abandon you.”

Yuuri’s mouth dropped open as Viktor smirked. Yuuri muttered the password and climbed into the portrait hole before turning back, “Two can play that game, Vitya. Just you wait and see!”

Viktor laughed, and as the portrait swung closed, Yuuri swore he heard him say, “Looking forward to it, Yura.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting the updates a bit early this week! I reeeeally hope to get you next chapter by Sunday, so I'm posting this one now so I can focus in on it and get it out. This chapter is basically bringing us back to the present from the flashback, so I felt we needed a little snuggle break. Upcoming chapters are long, real long, so they are taking longer to not just write, but also edit.
> 
> One person (that mentioned it) noticed the little Easter Egg I stuck in last chapter: the dark haired, bespectacled man Viktor ran into in Diagon Ally was Harry Potter. Surprise. ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading! Comments really make my day, so leave 'em if you'd like. Thanks!


	24. A New Team

The week began with Yuuri feeling a new sense of ease. It started right away on Monday morning with his now routine morning workout with Viktor and Otabek. The latter two spent most of it discussing new training goals for Yuuri, as well as a few for Viktor. Otabek also began planning some more intense sessions for Yuuri on the weekends when Viktor wasn’t around, which Yuuri found encouraging. At least if he was exhausted from training he’d have less time to focus on missing Viktor.

Once classes began, the worries worry he had of not being able to keep up were mostly resolved. Viktor’s nonverbal Shield Charm and his were now the strongest in the class (much to Jo’s chagrin), and he earned top marks on his Muggle Studies and Potions assignments from the past week. At lunch he heard that Viktor’s Arithmancy scores had been equally impressive.

Even Mila was doing well, particularly in Divination where she and Guang Hong had agreed to team up on a project to continue analyzing Yuuri and Viktor’s dreams and futures, much to the excitement of the Professor.

Neither Yuuri nor Viktor were particularly thrilled that their private dreams were going to be the subject of an ongoing set of papers, but between Mila’s silent stink eye and Guang-Hong’s pouts, neither of them was able to argue.

Tuesday was quickly becoming Yuuri’s favorite day of the week. After his Herbology lesson he would head for the library with Jo, Mila, and Riko to work on some homework until lunch time. Then, from lunch until 2 in the morning, Yuuri would be with Viktor. It was by far the most time they could spend with each other all week, and despite spending all weekend together, Yuuri found himself looking forward to it, sure he’d be even more excited this time next week.

They ate lunch that day with Leo and Sara, discussing the weekend, with Viktor eager to enlist their help in training Yuuri. Sara was more than happy to help and Leo was intrigued by the idea of working with a skater. They planned to meet on Saturday morning for some dance practice, Leo already excitedly planning their dance routine in his head.

Practice was an interesting time that Tuesday. Neither Yuuri nor Viktor had advertised that they would be practicing, but still several people showed up to watch, chatting happily at the tables. Yuuri found it a bit distracting and soon Viktor was raising the volume of the stereo to drown it all out.

Yuuri didn’t mind people there, most of his friends had stopped by during his practices the previous week, and Yuuri was excited that Leo and Sara had already committed to joining him over the weekend. It was just that these people didn’t seem to be there to support them. Or at least to support him. He could see them eyeing Viktor. They were mostly girls but a few guys as well, and only some of whom looked to be there against their will.

Fortunately they all cleared out by 10, leaving Viktor and Yuuri in peace for the final two hours.

“Do you want to skate together, Yuuri?” Viktor skated up to him and gently placing a hand on Yuuri’s waist, making his heart kick up a few notches. Yuuri nodded and soon they weren’t just sliding together, but doing some sort of silly pairs dance to a song only they could hear.

“Wait wait, don’t lift me! You don’t know how to lift, you might get hurt!”

“So pick me up instead, Yuuri!”

“There is no way in hell I am picking up the current World Champion. If you got hurt…”

“Yuuri, we’re wizards. You could break my leg and Madame Pomfrey would have me fixed up in about a minute.”

Yuuri paused, “That’s why you never seem to have injury problems! Two years ago you had that bad fall and they thought you might be out because of it, but you were back a few weeks later saying it had only been a slight sprain. You magicked it didn’t you?”

Viktor giggled, “Yup. Mila’s mom works at the St. Petersburg branch of St. Mungos. Whenever I get hurt I go there and she patches me up. If it’s something that won’t affect my skating Dr. Petrov handles it, but anything more major and I make an excuse that I want to see my family doctor before she can fully diagnose it.”

“Handy.”

“Right?”

Midnight came much too soon for Yuuri’s liking. As much as he was looking forward to Astronomy alone with Viktor, nothing beat spending time on the ice with him. Yuuri felt so at home there, and Viktor looked as if he were born with blades on his feet.

Then again, cuddling together under a blanket in the dark beneath the stars wasn’t bad either.

They must have pleased some deity because a thick cloud cover had rolled over the castle just as their shift was starting only allowing for that first reading. They still checked every 10 minutes as they were supposed to, but beyond a quick glance to confirm they still couldn’t see anything there wasn’t much they could do.

So instead they sat together and talked, mostly about skating.

“I wonder why so many people were watching us practice today,” Yuuri mused.

“They were looking at your ass.”

Yuuri gaped at Viktor, “Don’t tease. I was being serious!”

Viktor leaned closer, “So was I. I heard them talking about it. And as someone who stares at your ass on a daily basis, I can tell when someone else is too.”

Yuuri’s face was bright red as he stammered something that sounded like, “You…can’t...don’t…no.”

Viktor winked, “Maybe I do, and maybe I don’t. Maybe I’m just watching your form. Catch me and maybe you’ll find out.”

Yuuri was definitely going to die an early death. Not that he minded. This was a great way to go. “But we are there almost every day, so why’d they show up tonight of all nights?”

“If I had to guess, Skating club. A bunch of members have been telling others to join. I’ve been fielding questions ever since Wednesday about it. Someone must have overheard that you and I practice on Tuesdays. I think people are just impressed with our skill level.”

“Or your ass.”

“No yours.”

They devolved into giggled after that.

“Will you sleep over tonight, Yuuri?” Viktor asked near the end of their shift.

Yuuri pretended to think about it, curious to see Viktor’s reaction. He looked a bit nervous. Finally Yuuri had pity on him, “Yes, Vitya. I’ll sleep over.”

Viktor beamed and snuggled against him and murmured, “I sleep best when you’re there.”

Yuuri flushed and didn’t say anything. Soon their shift was over and they were crawling, exhausted, into bed, with Makkachin curling up between their legs. Viktor interlaced his fingers with Yuuri’s as he whispered, already half asleep, “Goodnight Yura.”

 

Wednesday was far better than the previous week, with most of the Astronomy class managing a full night of sleep. The groups with the last few shifts were yawning a bit, but didn’t seem too much the worse for wear. In fact, Sueng-gil was waiting for Yuuri down at the Great Hall when he arrived.

There was a small buffet table set-up along the side with a few light breakfast foods to tide the 6th years over until lunch, and Yuuri snacked on some fruit while he and Seung-gil talked about their home countries a bit, both happy for people like Riko and Guang Hong who helped them both feel a bit more at home. Their cultures might be different, but when surrounded by English people all day it was better than nothing.

Viktor had pouted a bit later after he joined them only to discover them cracking jokes about silly things white people do, though he seemed to feel better after Yuuri leaned up against him, cuddling just a bit.

Skating Club was crazier than ever, with so many people showing up they ran out of skates. They ended up splitting the time in two, with Viktor doing his performance in the middle of the session so Yuuri, Otabek, Mila could help get the skates switched around. Viktor skated his World Record holding Free Skate. Even Yuuri couldn’t help but clap when it was over; it was just as beautiful as he remembered.

Yuuri was helping a first year boy skate for the first time when the sound of girl’s laughter caught his attention. He looked up to see a group of 4th year girls skating alongside Viktor, laughing at something he’d said. Viktor was smiling kindly at them, but what made Yuuri’s gut twist nastily was when one of the girls reached out and touched Viktor’s arm, her fingers lingering just a bit too long.

Yuuri passed the first year off to Mila and sprinted off, throwing himself into a blistering fast scratch spin to burn off some frustration, earning some applause when he ended it, feeling just a tiny bit dizzy. It helped a little.

And then he felt a lot better when he caught Viktor staring at his ass when he was doing his cool-down stretches.

 

When Friday morning dawned, Yuuri couldn’t help the gloom that settled over him. Two full days without Viktor seemed like an impossibly long time. He was amazed how quickly Viktor’s presence had become so entwined in his life.

He didn’t seem to be alone in his thoughts; Viktor was particularly clingy, whining that he should ditch Herbology and just go to Potions with Yuuri instead. He also grumbled something that sounded like, “Should have been a Gryffindor” under his breath at one point.

His emotions seemed to calm some in Astronomy with the inclusion of Makkachin in their lesson. The poodle happily wandered around greeting all of the students, including Professor Sinistra who Yuuri saw sneak a small treat into Makka’s eagerly waiting mouth. Once he’d sniffed everyone he laid down under Viktor and Yuuri’s table, almost seeming to listen to the lecture on black holes.

“Maybe I should leave Makka here with you this weekend,” Viktor mused on their way to lunch after seeing Makka back into Winky’s care in the classroom.

“But then you’ll be lonely,” Yuuri reminded him, causing Viktor to frown. Yuuri smiled and squeezed his hand, “You can’t take him to competitions, right? I’ll take care of him then and send you photos of us watching you skate.”

Viktor lit up with excitement, “Will you stay in my room with him?”

“Sure, I don’t really think there is room in my bed for him after all.”

Viktor seemed much happier after that, chatting happily with the others as they ate.

An hour and a half later he was distinctly less cheerful though, moping in his room as he and Yuuri waited for Mila to arrive so they could Floo back to Russia.

“Why won’t McGonagall let you practice outside of school?” Viktor whined.

Yuuri secretly agreed, but said instead, “If I could I’d be going to Japan, so the result would be the same.”

Viktor buried his face into Yuuri’s chest, “I’ll miss you,” he mumbled.

“Me too…” Yuuri didn’t want to admit how much just yet.

Finally Mila arrived, with just as much luggage as last time. Yuuri really couldn’t figure out what she was bringing with her; he’d been perfectly fine with a small duffle.

“Alright,” She smiled and hugged Yuuri, “I’ll take Makka so you guys can have your sappy goodbye. Don’t take too long Viktor or Yakov will be mad!” and she was away.

“Will you skate with me when I get back?” Viktor asked, still a bit pouty.

Yuuri nodded and hugged him, “Now go practice hard. I’ll be very disappointed if you don’t win Gold at this year’s Grand Prix.”

Viktor giggled, “Oh I’ll win, don’t you worry. Can’t let my #1 fan down.” He winked causing Yuuri to blush.

Looking much happier Viktor stepped into the grate and with a quick wave, swooshed away to Russia.

Yuuri sighed softly and left the Slytherin dungeon. He thought with the parting of Viktor he might be sad or depressed, but instead, there was this feeling of aggravation. It wasn’t directed at Viktor, but he wasn’t sure of the source. Maybe it was at himself.

He wondered if Yurio had rubbed off on him.

There was really only one thing to do when his emotions threatened to over take him. He headed straight for the rink and was soon stretched out, music playing from his phone of the stereo, his blades sliding onto the ice.

He focused only on his blades, the burn in his legs, letting his lungs fill and empty of air in deep even breaths. He pushed himself, harder than he had in his runs in weeks, flying around the ice until his body burned with exertion. It was almost as if he were running from something.

The playlist he’d chosen was full of faced paced songs with heavy beats. Classical, rock, and even a bit of Japanese Metal; all perfect for driving thoughts from his mind. As the music drove him he practiced some of his jumps, pushing his legs to the limit. He avoided Quads, however, aware that he was pushing himself too hard to complete them safely.

He was starting to feel a bit calmer when a familiar set of opening notes caught his ear and pulled him to center ice. It was a Bollywood number with a fast, strong, rhythmic beat; it drove hard with stirring vocals that pushed Yuuri into a face paced step sequence. Yuuri sometimes envisioned creating a program to this song containing only minimal jumps. He could imagine impressing the judges with lighting fast, precise steps sequences.

Soon he was spinning so fast he could barely see. His feet flew across the ice, smacking hard against its surface, his toe picks causing the ice to spray as danced. When the music rose, he leapt, letting himself jump as high as he wanted despite the steady ache in his taxed legs. By the time the song was ending his lungs were on fire, but he kept moving, his feet flying through one final step sequence and leaping into a final spin with a hard ending pose.

The burn was exquisite as he fought to catch his breath. He hadn’t skated like this in so long. Despite his struggle to fuel his body, he couldn’t help but smile because for the first time he’d skated to the entire song.

“Damn Yuuri, that was insane.” Yuuri looked up in surprise to find Guang Hong.

“Oh hey, sorry, I didn’t see you there!”

He nodded and smile, “It’s ok; I came right before the song began. You looked so focused I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt.” He paused as he looked down for a moment, and Yuuri noticed that he was holding a cell phone. “Sorry, I didn’t even think, I just started recording. I can delete it.”

“No no, it’s alright. I’m glad you did. Could you send it to me?”

Guang Hong nodded happily, tapping away at his phone. There was a small ding over the speakers as Yuuri received the notification. He skated over and looked over the video, smiling as he did. He quickly forwarded it to Phichit and Viktor with the message: ‘I finally skated the whole song!’

He grinned and set his phone back as he began to skate at a more leisurely pace, looking back at Guang-Hong. “Did you want to skate? I could teach you if you’ve never done it.”

Guang Hong blushed, “I know how, I just wanted to watch. I’ve been trying to understand your dreams and Viktor’s too. Otabek showed me a lot of videos of Viktor skating last weekend, and it seemed to stir something, so I thought watching you skate might help, but there’s really no videos of you.”

“Ah yeah, I’m still pretty new on the skating scene. I could show you some of my programs if it would help,” Yuuri offered despite his protesting muscles which desperately wanted to rest.

Guang Hong waved him off, “No, I’m good. That performance was more than enough.”

“It was?”

Guang Hong grinned, “Well, I don’t claim to have all the answers now, but I think I have what I need to start finding them. I can always come by next week to watch more. I’ve heard you and Viktor have a big practice on Tuesday nights.”

Yuuri nodded, “We practice every day, but that’s out longest of the week. You could come by the skating club too. We’ve been doing some performances at the end of the meeting as a little cool down.” He finally exited the ice, slipping on his guards and making his way to a set of pads he’d laid on the floor for stretching. He unlaced his skates and began his cool down.

“I’ll make sure to stop by sometime.”

His phone dinged as he stretched, but he was in the middle of one of his long holds so he couldn’t check. The pings only became more insistent, causing Guang Hong to laugh, “Want me to get that for you?”

Yuuri chuckled, “Yeah, if you don’t mind. I should have known Viktor and Phichit would be quick to watch.”

Guang Hong unlocked the phone and kneeled down in front of Yuuri as he continued to stretch, holding the phone for him to see and slowly scrolling through the conversation.

**Phichit:** Yuuuuuuuuuri! That was amazing!

**Phichit:** God your stamina is unreal. I’m going to show Ciao-Ciao!

**Viktor:** Yuuri, amazing! Yakov is yelling at me but he’s impressed too.

**Viktor:** Yurio just muttered something about needing to practice his step sequences.

**Phichit:** Ciao-Ciao says you should make that your Exhibition.

Yuuri instructed Guang Hong what to type as he continued to flex his body into increasingly difficult stretches.

**Yuuri:** Seriously? But I only just made all that up!

**Phichit:** It shows off who you are better than the others, you have time to clean it up a bit. Unless of course you’d rather save that to be your free skate next season.

**Viktor:** As much as I’d love to see Yuuri win with that as his Free Skate, I just don’t think it’s possible. Most of the top skaters are pulling 4 Quads per program now, Yuuri’s stamina is crazy, but I don’t think even he could pull enough jumps along with all that footwork to have a high enough Technical score.

**Phichit:** Celestino agrees. He says we could change it up, but you’d lose a lot of what made it special if you made it competitive.

**Viktor:** But with that as your exhibition you’ll seriously scare the competition. You have an exhibition at Nationals right?

**Yuuri:** Yeah, but would anyone even see that?

**Viktor:** They will after I send it out to all my followers.

**Phichit:** And me! I’ll share it too!

Yuuri couldn’t help but blush.

**Viktor:** Not to mention Four Continents

Yuuri finished his stretches and took the phone from Guang Hong, switching text boxes, preferring to say his next thought in private.

**Yuuri:** Do you really think I can qualify for Worlds?

**Viktor:** Yakov just told me if I don’t stop flirting with you I focus on my skating I’m going to be in serious jeopardy of losing my gold to you.

**Yuuri:** No way.

**Viktor:** Yeah, he is seriously impressed by you. I think he’s going to try and steal you away from Celestino any day now.

**Viktor:** I personally can’t wait to show every skater I dislike your skating, show them the face of the skater that is going to decimate them at Four Continents and Worlds. And if I’m lucky I’ll get to preface it by saying you’re more than just my friend.

Yuuri blushed furiously, making Guang Hong look at him curiously.

**Yuuri:** I’d like that, the second part that is.

 

The next morning Yuuri was more at ease. His work out, and subsequent conversation with Viktor had eased his mind considerably. He’d spent several minutes showing the video to Poster Viktor before bed, and he too seemed excited, though strangely sluggish.

He’d waved off Yuuri’s concern by performing his signature Quad Flip flawlessly as usual. Yuuri cheered but couldn’t help notice that he seemed to be deep asleep in the morning. While he’d seen the 2D Viktor sleep, he usually woke up when Yuuri did.

He looked exhausted; maybe he’d been working on something? Yuuri had to admit he’d been neglecting his ink and paper idol for the flesh and blood version. Maybe he’d just hadn’t been sleeping enough in order to make sure not to miss Yuuri.

Frowning, Yuuri headed out for a light jog, committing to put it out of his mind for now and observe more closely over the next few days.

He listened to some perky tunes, humming along to one in particular (a song that would be a lot of fun to dance to, now that he thought about it), as he slowly circled the lake, letting his body stretch as he moved. He would be dancing with Sara and Leo right after breakfast, followed by his first Apparition lesson, and then having a heavy training session with Otabek after lunch. He planned to work on his homework in the late afternoon, a break for dinner, and then get in few hours of skating before bed.

It was going to be a very full day.

Three laps and a decent sweat later, he was chewing on some toast when Leo and Guang-Hong sat beside him, Clara and Imara close behind them. They were all discussing a Care of Magical Creatures lesson together as they sat with Yuuri, and by the time they wrapped it up, Sara, Seung-gil, Charlie and Ari had all joined them.

There was something oddly peaceful about sitting with the group of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. They were all friendly and relaxed, several side conversations cropping up and swirling around each other. Different people greeted him and asked him questions, but for the most part he was alone with his thoughts.

Not long ago this might have felt alienating, but today it was alright. Today it felt like his friends were letting him set his own pace, rather than excluding him from anything.

“Hey Yuuri,” Guang-Hong’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Hey, did you have any luck with the dreams after seeing me skate last night?” He’d had dreams nearly every day this week. Hazy flashes of a face as his younger self danced with joy. He was glad he’d be dancing today, the action might stir something.

“Nothing really. I’m getting the feeling there is some piece of essential information we’re all missing. I’ll keep looking, but I’m getting the impression we have to wait for something to happen before it’ll become clearer.”

Yuuri sighed, he wasn’t upset, but he was curious. “Any idea when that’ll be?”

Guang-Hong nodded, “Before your birthday.”

Yuuri’s mouth gaped slightly, “You can tell that specifically?”

Guang-Hong giggled, “Well, it’s not a science, but sometimes there are these milestones. They’re like beacons, and your birthday is important.”

“What does that mean?”

“Could be anything, could be nothing. You’re turning 17. Everyone’s 17th birthday shines pretty bright in the Wizarding world since it’s the moment you become an adult. It just has a lot of meaning for most people.”

“Oh,” Yuuri had kind of hoped it would be a special day.

Guang-Hong smirked, “Coincidentally, that day shines pretty brightly for Viktor too.” Yuuri blushed and busied himself with his breakfast.

As soon as Sara had finished her breakfast (fresh fruit and granola), she began practically dragging Leo and Yuuri to the Muggle Studies Club room, the two boys waving goodbye to their friends as they were manhandled out of the room.

“Get a move on! We don’t have all morning!”

Yuuri laughed, “You seem excited.”

Sara grinned, “Of course, it’s been a while since I danced with anyone else. I’m excited to see if you can keep up.”

Yuuri and Leo laughed good naturedly as they entered the room.  Someone had dragged in mirrors from around the castle creating a facsimile of a wall of mirrors, though they were a bit strange with their ornate frames encompassing the image they reflected back. Yuuri couldn’t help but think that if positioned correctly they could create an interesting set.

Leo headed over to the stereo, “Sara and I have already been practicing the Tango together, and I’ve got a break dancing routine planned out to show off a lot of aerials and power moves. We’re hoping you two can do a hip-hop routine together, and then you could do a solo piece in whatever style you’re most comfortable.”

Yuuri nodded, grinning a bit, “I actually had a thought about that and I have a song I want to dance to.”

Leo nodded and Yuuri handed him his phone with the song pulled up.

“Ha! This is great.” Leo grinned, “Any idea how you’ll dance to it?”

“Oh I have a few ideas,” Yuuri chuckled.

They spent most of their practice working on Sara and Yuuri’s pair routine, which was wickedly hard. It was a song with a lot more swagger than Yuuri thought he possessed; he was torn between wanting to surprise Viktor with it, and wanting to get his advice on creating the mood. This was really outside of his normal image.

“That’s what’ll make it fun,” Leo commented when Yuuri mentioned it. Sara seemed to be struggling just as much. “You’re both sweet people. You dance ballet, you’re kind. This song is really contrary to the image, but I think you can both find a way to think of it that’ll work for you. For Sara, you need to prove you’re as tough as the song suggests, and for Yuuri, you just need to think like you’re telling the world your partner isn’t someone the world can mess with, and you find that hot.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but let his thoughts drifting to Viktor. If Viktor was dancing to this song, Yuuri would be quick to join in, because it was true. Viktor was better than anyone. There was a medal around his neck to prove it. He didn’t need Yuuri to stand up for him on that front.

But then he thought of the other sides of Viktor, his vulnerability, his sadness, and his exhibition song. Yuuri suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to skate through these feelings, there was something he was on the verge of understanding, but it would be hours before he could get there.

Instead, he channeled his emotions into his dance with Sara. He was coming off a little bit too protective rather than proud, but it was better at least. By the end of their practice they both had the basics down. They made plans to practice each weekend until the party; this dance was the climax of the party, and would end with an open dance for everyone to enjoy, so it was crucial to setting the mood.

For a small school party, they certainly were putting a lot of effort in, but the exercise had been a fun workout so Yuuri really couldn’t complain.

As they were cooling down and stretching Sara spoke, “I used to skate you know. My brother and I did pairs when we were kids.”

“Why’d you stop?” Yuuri asked curiously.

She bit her lip looking up at the two boys, “My brother was a lot better than me. They kept telling him he should go solo, and told me I needed a partner who was more at my level. I know if I had kept at it I could have probably done well, and I was ready to take a new partner, but my brother refused. He said if I was going to skate with a partner he wanted to skate with me.

“To be honest, I was kind of happy about it. Boys teased me a lot and he’d always protected me. But I was scared if I went solo I wouldn’t be strong enough on my own. So I quit, using school and dance as an excuse. I miss it sometimes.”

“You could go back to it, you know,” Yuuri smiled kindly. “You could start by just getting the feel of it while you’re in school and then push hard once you’re done. You’d still have time for a season in the Juniors when we graduated.”

She smiled, “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I watch Mila skate and she’s so good; I don’t know if I could ever be at that level. Plus I have dance.”

“Sounds like you’re making excuses again,” Leo commented.

Sara blushed a little.

“You don’t have to commit to being on Mila’s level right away, just start skating again and see where it leads. You won’t know if you can do it or not until you try, after all.”

She chewed her lip a little, “Maybe I could stop by when you practice today?”

“Sure, it’ll be a lighter training day after Otabek is through with me. You’re more than welcome to come down and just skate, no pressure.”

“I’ll come too,” Leo grinned. “It sounds like it’d be fun to watch. Besides, Viktor asked me to push your expressions with different music. No time like the present to start, right?”

Yuuri grinned, “Sounds good to me. You guys can stop by tomorrow too. Otabek and I are training before breakfast, but I’ll be at the rink the rest of the day.”

The others agreed and soon they had gathered up their things, cleaned up the room, and headed to their first Apparition lesson.

“Are you nervous about the lesson?” Leo asked.

Yuuri and Sara both nodded.

“I’ve never really liked the feeling of it,” Sara shuddered, “but if I can do it, I can go see Mickey skate more, so it’s worth it.”

The Great Hall was filled with hoops; all spaced evenly along the floor. A very old wizard was standing near the front of the hall.

“If you all would please evenly space yourselves throughout the hall, behind a hoop,” he called out in a rather wheezy voice.

There was a fair amount of shuffling before the hall quieted as they all waited for the old wizard to speak. Instead, a younger, taller wizard Yuuri hadn’t previously noticed stood and looked over the gathering of students.

“Are any of you athletes, Quidditch or the like?” His voice was deep with a rich burr that matched his impressive frame. He must have been a former Keeper or something; he was large enough to block two of the hoops with just his muscle alone.

Yuuri and Sarah glanced at each other before raising their hands, along with Jo and a few Quidditch players. A Hufflepuff boy, who Yuuri was sure wasn’t a Quidditch player, also raised his hand. The hulking wizard nodded, “Tell me your sports.” He looked first to Jo who was closest.

“Quidditch,” she replied, sounding a bit less confident than normal.

He nodded and moved on two the 3 other Quidditch players before nodding to the Hufflepuff boy.

“I play football, sir. Mostly just Summer League, for now.”

The wizard smiled, “Proper football or American?”

The boy gaped for a moment before laughing, “Proper, sir.”

“Very good, next.” He looked to Sara.

“I’m a dancer. Ballet, contemporary, as well as some Latin and Hip Hop. I used to Figure Skate as well when I was younger.”

The man grinned before nodding to Yuuri.

“I’m a Figure Skater, but I dance as well, same styles as Sara.”

“I take it both of you can do leaps?”

Sara and Yuuri nodded.

“And you boy,” he paused.

“Yuuri Katsuki, sir.”

“Mr. Katsuki, you do jumps?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Could you do one on land instead of ice?”

“Yes. It wouldn’t have as many rotations without the momentum, but I could do a jump.”

The man nodded, “Could you do one now?”

Yuuri nodded and Sara moved to the side to give him more space. Yuuri cleared his mind for a moment before leaping straight into the air and turning fast. He had gone with a Flip, managing close to 3 rotations (slightly under rotated), landing cleanly on one leg, the other flaring up as it would on the ice.

There was a small bit of applause before the man nodded and continued, “What do you think about when you do that, Mr. Katsuki?”

Yuuri was puzzled by all this but answered, “Nothing, sir.”

“You don’t think about the move?”

“Maybe my initial position, but when executing the actual jump I let my mind go blank. When I was learning I would think about everything, but once I mastered in my body doesn’t need reminding, so it’s better to keep my mind quiet.”

The man smiled and nodded, “Thank you, Mr. Katsuki.” He turned towards the group, “Had I asked any of these athletes what they think about during a critical match or moment, I think most of them would give a similar answer. That is your goal in these lessons. First you will learn how to move your body and wand, you will learn the words to think with your mind, and what place to focus upon; and then, once you have mastered all that, you will think of nothing and you will let you mind and magic do what it already knows how to do. That is Apparition, or as my colleague here likes to say Destination, Determination, Deliberation.”

And the lesson was off with the unnamed Ministry Wizard explaining the proper movements and mindset they needed to achieve in order to Apparate. After a brief explanation they practiced the movements a few times before he lined them all up again for their first try.

Yuuri screwed up his face in concentration and when called to, he turned on the spot and…went nowhere. No one did, though a few people lost their balance. He instructed them to continue at their own pace and began strolling between them, pointing out obvious errors, and occasionally whispering in someone’s ear.

He approached Sara who was looking very tense. “Relax. Think of it like a dance. Imagine what you want to do and then step.”

Sara nodded and took a deep breath. Yuuri could see her toes were pointed, she was practically dancing in place, her knees moving to unheard rhythm before she suddenly turned and then she was gone for the spot, moved forward several feet, though off target by a bit.

She was also obviously in a great deal of pain as the Ministry Wizard who was still standing where she had been was now holding her arm.

“Well done!” he bellowed, flicking his wand and reattaching her arm. Her face instantly calmed. In a softer voice he continued, “And good job keeping quiet despite the pain. I know that didn’t feel nice.”

She nodded, eyes tearing up a bit. He instructed her to rest a bit then looked at Yuuri. “Are you ready Mr. Katsuki? Same instructions, think of it as if you’re skating. Making it feel familiar will help you master the skill.”

Yuuri sighed, allowing himself to relax, letting some unknown song slowly fill his mind that was achingly familiar despite knowing for certain he’d never heard such a piece in his life. He took several deep breathes, relaxing his joints and allowing his mind to drift to the color of Viktor’s eyes for a moment before slowly solidifying the image of the hoop in front of him in his mind.

Slowly he focused in on that small space and then he turned, he was sure his body moved more like a Layback spin than how they were taught to turn when Apparating, but he didn’t pay it any mind as he spun and then he felt it. That clutching uncomfortable feeling of being crammed into too small of a space and then he popped out, free to breathe again. He opened his eyes and saw that he was standing in the hoop.

He looked up, eyes making contact with the Ministry Wizard.

“Very good, Mr. Katsuki. You almost had it.”

“Almost?” Yuuri didn’t understand, he quickly looked down at himself; he seemed to have all his body parts.

The man chuckled and pointed to the floor, “You’re in the wrong ring,” he grinned.

Yuuri groaned but couldn’t help but laugh as the Wizard came over a patting him on his shoulder.

Practice carried on, with neither Yuuri nor Sara able to duplicate their results, but they both spent most of the time focusing on quieting their minds. Many people were trying to force it, but Yuuri understood now that it wasn’t an action of force, but of calm.

Soon Jo was having moderate success, though her aim was way off, and Riko managed to splinch herself right before the end, biting her lip hard so as not to scream as a large chunk of her leg was left behind.

Ari and Charlie had no luck and were gently teasing each other. Clara seemed to have her face scrunched up tight in concentration, while Imara chose to sit and meditate, only attempting the action once more before the end of the lesson. There was a crack when she spun but she didn’t move. “Not enough Destination,” the old wheezy wizard commented, causing Imara to nod.

As the lesson ended and the students moved to the side of the room to make way for the luncheon tabled to be repositioned, the Ministry Wizard and Professor McGonagall approached him.

“Mr. Katsuki,” Professor McGonagall smiled, “well done today. Your individual lesson will be tomorrow at 4’o’clock in my office. Mr. Nikiforov contacted me earlier to let me know he and Ms. Babicheva will be arriving back early, so Mr. Reid has kindly agreed to stay the night so that Ms. Babicheva can have a proper first lesson as well.”

“Oh,” Yuuri was surprised but also excited, “thank you sir, I’m sure Mila will appreciate that.”

He nodded, “I’ve heard Mr. Nikiforov was as quick to learn as you were, so I am interested to see how Ms. Babicheva does. Perhaps skaters have a natural ability.”

“Or maybe we’re just so used to throwing ourselves into the air with the high likelihood of falling that we just don’t have enough sense to be nervous,” Yuuri blurted out, and then flushed when he realized what he said.

Mr. Reid gave a great booming laugh that seemed to take over his whole body. “Yes, that could be true too.” He chuckled once more, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Katsuki.”

Professor McGonagall began moving her wand, and soon the tables were flying around the room, settling around the hall. But instead of 4 long tables, they were broken up into several shorter tables, all being scattered around the room.

“Oh right, you weren’t here last weekend,” Sara pointed out. “They decided to break up the tables from lunch on Saturday until lunch on Sunday to encourage a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere. Also they probably just figure all us transfers will just sit wherever anyways so might as well give in, at least a little bit.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. It was only a few meals a week, but to not have the pressure that came with sitting at the wrong table all the time would be a big relief. He wished Viktor was here to see it.

He settled in at one of the tables, ready to dig into his lunch, already feeling ravenous from his morning dance session when Otabek grabbed his shoulder, “You’ll want to keep it light; we’re going to be working hard. You might throw up if you have a normal meal.”

Yuuri groaned, earning him a grin from Otabek as they sat. “I wonder if the house elves can make Protein shakes,” Yuuri grumbled. Suddenly what looked like a vanilla milkshake popped up in front of his hand. He tentatively took a sip; it was a vanilla and almond protein shake. Otabek grinned, “I asked them about it last weekend. Not bad huh?”

Yuuri nodded. It wasn’t real food, but it would fuel his body.

His afternoon training was exactly as advertised: brutal. There we sprints, stairs, jumps, squats and basically every form of torture Minako had ever inflicted on Yuuri all rolled into one long and intense workout.

When Otabek granted Yuuri a break, Yuuri checked his phone to find a message.

**Viktor:** How is it?

**Yuuri:** Tell my family I love them.

**Viktor:** D:

**Yuuri:** I don’t think my ass will ever be the same.

**Viktor:** lol

**Viktor:** and it was already pretty unreal

**Yuuri:** (*´ｪ｀*)

**Viktor:** It works though. A month of his workouts made a huge difference in my jumps.

**Yuuri:** That seems unbelievable. I’m pretty sure I’ll never walk again.

“Say goodbye Yuuri, break’s over,” Otabek’s voice was definitely hiding a smirk.

**Yuuri:** The slave driver says I have to say goodbye (=_=)

**Viktor:** Keep at it! (*^3^)/~☆

An hour later Yuuri’s entire body was beyond tired. Fortunately, Otabek’s final exercise had been a sprint up the stairs to Gryffindor tower because Yuuri was pretty sure he wouldn’t have made it otherwise. He stood in the shower letting his body melt under the warm water.

He finally emerged to find Otabek waiting at some of the tables with a few of their friends, Yuuri’s book bag, a large glass of water, and a protein shake waiting. Jo had one of her smoothies and was working on their potions homework. Yuuri groaned as he sat, but settled in and got to work on his homework.

By dinner time, Yuuri was satisfied with his homework progress; he had maybe an hour left to tackle tomorrow night. He’d been concerned it would take longer, but with all of his friends working together he not only finished it quickly, but felt like he understood it far better than he would have alone. He was pretty sure Jo would reclaim her top spot on this week’s homework though, as she’d been the one who had single handedly gotten him through most of his trouble points in Alchemy, and that was with both of them texting Viktor on some of the stickier points.

After a fast dinner (Otabek had again insisted he stick to vegetables and protein shakes), Yuuri was back out on the ice. His body and mind were tired, but he felt so much better whenever he was on the smooth plain of ice in Dungeon #6.

The best part of this rink was that the ice was cleaned whenever it wasn’t in use, so the ice was almost always perfect. Normally he’d have to be up very early in the morning to enjoy such a feeling, but here it was a daily joy. He would often skate in slow easy circles for several minutes, savoring that perfect feel under his blades.

He began to skate his short program, hearing the music in his head and still finding it not fully connecting with his heart. Celestino had picked the piece, and while it was good, it just wasn’t quite right; it felt almost…weak. When he thought back on it now, it had seemed more fitting at the beginning of summer, but the more time passed, the more it didn’t fit him anymore. He wondered if it ever had.

There was no changing it now though, he’d just have to let himself turn it into his own story that suited him the best he could. Viktor could probably win with the same program, so Yuuri could too.

He heard the door open and smiled as Sara and Leo strolled in, and was surprised to see Sara even had her own skates. She blushed a bit catching his eye, “I never could give it up completely,” she whispered.

Yuuri smiled, “I’m the same way, now come on, let’s have some fun.”

They spent the next two hours just skating. Sara’s blades were moving more and more assuredly the longer she skated, and Yuuri could already start to see the type of skater she had been.

“You aren’t suited to pairs skating,” he said simply. She looked up, confused. “You’re way too strong on your own. Your personality, your skating, it just shines so brightly on the ice that no one would be able to match you. Your brother might have been technically better, but you would have demanded more attention, making them think you were dragging him down, when in reality you just needed to push further forward. I bet you were over rotating your jumps.”

Sara stared at him, gaping a bit, “How did you know?”

Yuuri grinned, “I’ve seen Michele skate, and now seeing you I just know. I bet in his mind he’s been chasing you his entire life.”

Sara seemed really happy and insisted on taking some selfies together to send to Michele. Within seconds of sending the first photo her phone rang.

“Mickey!” There was some grumpy sounding Italian coming from the other end of the line which made Sara laugh. “Now now, Mickey, Yuuri isn’t going to do anything bad to me. He’s got Viktor for that.”

“Huh, who’s Viktor?”

Yuuri was blushing as Sara clarified, “Nikiforov. He’s here too.”

There was a sound like someone dropping something, or running into a wall, “Viktor Nikiforov is a wizard?!?” he whispered frantically.

Yuuri laughed, “You sound like me when I found out, Michele.”

Michele grumbled for a bit but eventually muttered, “So you and Nikiforov, huh Yuuri?”

Yuuri chewed his lip a bit before answering, “We’re not…not yet anyways.”

Michele grunted and then began gushing at Sara, happy to see her back on her skates, leaving Yuuri alone with his thoughts of Viktor, reminded again of their text conversation from the day before.

 

Yuuri woke up on Sunday to the steady beating of his 6am alarm and was struck by two thoughts immediately. The first was that he seemed to have finally acclimated to the new time zone. The second was that his chest was very warm and there seemed to be a light pressure on it.

The sun was just peaking through the windows giving just enough light to the room for Yuuri to glance down at his chest where Judgment cat seemed to be fast asleep. It took a lot of self restraint not to laugh. He hadn’t bothered closing his curtains last night because he had been so tired, and obviously the cat was not deterred by doors.

He slowly reached for his phone, careful not to wake the feline and turned off his alarm before opening the camera app, taking a few photos of the cat before switching to selfie mode and carefully angling the camera to capture the cat on his chest and his face in the shot, a sleepy smile gracing his features.

He’d only posted once on Instagram since coming to Hogwarts, so he uploaded the photo there with the caption: N _ot a poodle but still good #trapped_

Viktor and Phichit liked it almost instantly.

He gently woke the cat, earning him a slight glare before the cat repositioned herself to the foot of the bed. He sat up and stretched, noticing Poster Viktor was awake and practically had hearts in his eye looking at the cat and Yuuri. He seemed as energetic as ever, skating and jumping for Yuuri as he prepared for the day, flashing heart shaped hand signals at him as Yuuri made his way out the door.

He made his way down the stairs to find Otabek waiting and they set off on their morning work-out in silence.

It was predictably grueling, three hours of pure agony, but by the end Yuuri had to admit some part of him felt really good knowing he’d pushed so hard.

“Are you and Viktor dating yet?”

Yuuri tripped on his own feet, barely able to avoid planting his face into the ground as he regained his balance. “Huh? No!”

Otabek grinned. They were walking back to the castle both dripping with sweat. “Don’t know what your hold-up is. He’s had a crush on you for nearly a year now.”

Yuuri’s mouth gaped, “You knew?”

“’Course.”

Yuuri blushed, “We’re uh…taking our time, getting to know each other first.”

Otabek raised an eyebrow but smiled, “Wow, so for once he has good taste.”

“You didn’t think so before?”

“To be fair, I didn’t know you before. I’ve been thinking you’re a good guy for a while now but I couldn’t be sure.” He grinned, “You have my blessing now.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh.

Breakfast was quick, Yuuri felt safe eating some eggs and toast rather than protein shakes, though he did take one with him for later. They were impressively good.

He was on the ice before he knew it, his muscles still feeling warm, and his mind clear as he began to skate. He flipped his short program music on and set it to repeat, determined to find a better way to express his feeling during the routine.

At some point Leo joined him, but the teen merely watched. Yuuri didn’t mind his quiet presence. He marked his jumps and ran through the program again and again, finally stopping after half a dozen run-throughs, panting slightly.

“That program doesn’t suit you,” Leo said matter-of-factly.

Yuuri nodded and swallowed a gulp of water, “I know. It felt better in the spring when I first learned it, but now it just feels wrong. I’m totally disconnected from it.”

“Is it too late to change it?”

“Regionals is in less than 2 months and I already showed the program at sectionals. I’m locked in until after Nationals, really.”

Leo considered this, “What can you change? Not music I’m guessing, but what else?”

“I can change the elements to an extent; upgrade jumps and things like that.”

He nodded, “Let me think about it. Maybe we can approach it from another angle and move a few things so it feels better.”

Sara entered then, looking eager to skate. After a few greetings, Leo took over the stereo, playing a variety of catchy tunes that soon had both skaters smiling as they skated.

During one song in particular Yuuri couldn’t help but start to skate in earnest, blades gliding smoothly up until the chorus when he went up on his toe picks dancing much more like he would on land, sliding around Sara in a flirty sort of manner, making her laugh. Soon they were skating together, both dancing through the choruses, kicking their legs high and shaking their hips.

Yuuri realized about halfway through he was dancing more like a girl than a guy, but didn’t really care. Dancing with Sara was fun, nearly as much fun as skating with Viktor. He’d never really fit the image of the traditional guy, not like Nishigori or Otabek, so maybe he’d just ride the line. Viktor did and it looked good on him.

“Do you think you’ll start skating again?” Yuuri asked Sara while he took a break for lunch.

She seemed to consider it for a moment, “Maybe. Right now I’m just having fun.”

Yuuri grinned, “That’s the best place to start.”

Soon he was back on the ice, this time alone. Viktor would be back in an hour or so, and as much as Yuuri hated to admit it, he had really missed him. Way more than he should be missing someone who’d only been his friend for two weeks.

They’d texted back and forth throughout the weekend but Yuuri had to admit, it wasn’t the same. He’d have to ask Viktor if they could FaceTime during competitions. He could do that right?

As he skated his thoughts continued to swirl around Viktor, around his programs, and especially around his exhibition. The one he’d retire once he showed it to Yuuri. The music seemed to float into Yuuri’s mind as he let his skates carry him around the ice to that lamenting tune.

It had been as if Viktor was waiting for people to attack him. In a way, maybe they were. How many people had sworn they would beat Viktor at the Grand Prix? Yuuri had seen half a dozen skaters declare they’d be taking gold in this year’s Grand Prix. Viktor hadn’t missed the podium since he’d failed to qualify (by 1 point!) in his senior debut.

It wasn’t just Viktor they were after, Yurio was seen as a monster in the Juniors, but no one knew he was planning to shift into the Seniors mid-season, an almost unheard of move, which would make qualifying for Worlds a daunting task. Most assumed he’d ride out the season in the Juniors before moving up next year. Teams throughout the world were vowing to unseat him.

Mila was the Junior Women’s Silver medalist at Worlds and was now in the Seniors. No one believed she’d qualify for the GPF; it was amazing she’d even been invited to 2 qualifying events. She needed a strong performance to ensure her participation in the best events all season. And no one believed she could do it.

Georgi was the real dark horse. Some thought he might be better than Viktor in his own way. With the senior Russian skater having officially retired, there was a place for Georgi to make his mark. Many were already deeply concerned that the podiums could be full of Russians next year, and Georgi was eager to prove their fears valid.

They were all so strong, as if their hearts were made of metal. Yet Yuuri had seen it, the flickers of doubt and the exhausting amount of work they each put in. They might be a powerhouse, but they weren’t invulnerable. Maybe Viktor’s song wasn’t so sad, now that he thought about it, maybe it wasn’t that dissimilar to his own free skate, which could sound achingly sad, but was full of strength.

Maybe, just maybe, that skate was Viktor’s war cry, calling all challengers to come at him, to try and take him down. And his declaration that no matter what they did, he’d keep fighting; and not just Viktor, his whole team. He was their leader, their strength. He was standing at the forefront, taking the brunt of the attacks, because he believed his team would fight hard right beside him. It was a rallying cry.

But it was more, so much more, as the second verse rolled through Yuuri’s head. It wasn’t just skating, it was personal, it was as if Viktor was challenging those who would hurt him personally, reminding himself he could weather the storm. It wasn’t a cry of pain, but a reminder that he could, and would, survive whatever life threw at him.

And by bringing Yuuri to Russia, by demanding his team show Yuuri respect, wasn’t he in some way declaring Yuuri a member of his team, someone under his protection? Yuuri would face a lot of challengers. He could say all he wanted that he was a nobody, but he’d dominated his sectional competition and would be in the sights of many skaters come Regionals, all eager to take him down and prevent him from getting to Nationals.

But he had Viktor, he had this team at Hogwarts, and his team back home. He was protected on all sides, giving him the freedom to skate as he wanted, so he could prove he deserved to be at the top of the podium at Nationals, and on top of the World.

It was a heady feeling and Yuuri was sure his anxiety would begin gnawing at him soon, but for the moment he allowed himself to skate with confidence. He was the one to beat. No one knew how dangerous he was except maybe Viktor. It was time to declare who he was, what he could do, it was time to be brave like a Gryffindor, but cunning like a Slytherin. Surely he could borrow traits from the house of the one he loved?

He nearly stumbled at that thought, but quickly pushed it aside, determined to file it away for later study. It was too frightening to analyze now.

What was important now was giving to Viktor. He could feel it in everything Viktor did, there was this support he exuded, surrounding Yuuri silently, building a wall around him to protect him from all challengers, and silently giving Yuuri the strength he needed to reach this point. It was so strong that even when Viktor wasn’t here with him, he could still feel it.

Something within him had settled, and it was time to move forward because the world was waiting for him.

He slid faster and faster, building momentum and control, settling himself, focusing his center and then leaping, high, hard, pushing his muscles to their peak as he spun, once, twice, three times, and a forth before touching down in a near perfect Quad Flip. The landing was shaky, and he’d wobbled a bit in the air, but it would have gotten him high points.

He’d landed the jump only landed once before. Viktor’s jump.

“Yuuri.”

It was like a whisper, but Yuuri could hear it clearly as he slid around the ice, finding Viktor’s eyes locked on him. Yuuri’s breath caught as he saw Viktor waiting, obviously having just returned, his hair still a bit windswept.

“How did it look?” Yuuri asked, slightly breathless, his voice sounding less calm than he felt in his mind, though that was slipping just a bit, it was hard to hold confidence within himself for long periods of time. He slid slowly closer to Viktor.

“Beautiful,” Viktor whispered.

“I did it for you,” Yuuri whispered softly, leaning against the barrier. Viktor stared at him, eyes full of curiosity. “Your Exhibition, all your skates, they’re not actually all that sad, are they? They’re much deeper than that.”

Viktor smiled, “Ah, so you can see them?”

Yuuri nodded, “I realized it while you were gone. I missed you, but I realized you were still with me,” he tapped his chest, “here.”

Viktor grinned, “Da, and you were with me.” He paused, leaning just a bit closer to Yuuri and whispered, “I couldn’t think of anyone I’d like to share that jump with more.”

“Then keep doing my combo, I like watching you, knowing you’re doing it for me.”

Viktor breathed, “Keep watching me, Yura. Don’t take your eyes off me.”

Yuuri smiled, “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, I'm back, late in the weekend with another chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> Music in the chapter (or at least some of it):  
> The [Japanese Metal](https://youtu.be/aeAvcE1-WRc) that's playing when Yuuri's practicing, because everyone should have a little metal in their life.  
> The [Bollywood number](https://youtu.be/l_MyUGq7pgs) that will become his Exhibition this season. Please enjoy the fact that this movie is produced by Eros International (I shit you not).  
> The fun little pop song Yuuri and Sara skate to is [Maps by Maroon5](https://youtu.be/NmugSMBh_iI).
> 
> You'll have to wait (as will Viktor) to find out what Yuuri's individual dance, and pair hip-hop dance with Sara are.
> 
> Yuuri's coming to grips with his feelings in this chapter, as well as dealing with some new ones that are all messing with his mind and kind of making his emotions go all over the place. Sometimes when we are scared we just get pissy instead, and that's how Yuuri is feeling after Viktor leaves. But that's ok, he needed to feel those things so he can start to really believe he's a lot stronger than he thinks.
> 
> Next week we'll be racing through the Fall to get to Skate Canada! Go Viktor! Poor little Yuuri is so close to his Regional competition he's gonna be super nervous, but even with Viktor gone, he's got a whole team of friends ready to support him.
> 
> Calendar for the upcoming competitions:  
> October 27-29 - Skate Canada (Viktor)  
> Nov 3-5 - Cup of China (Yurio&Mila)  
> Nov 10 - 12 - Japanese Regional (Yuuri), Trophee de France (Viktor), Rostelcom Cup (Georgi&Yurio)  
> Nov 17-19 - NHK (Georgi), Muggle Cultural Club Dance  
> Nov 24 - 26 - Skate America (Mila)


	25. Canada Calling

Yuuri had been torn on what he wanted to do more when Viktor returned, skate with him and just have fun, or seriously work on his programs. Viktor seemed to favor working on his programs as he was soon drilling Yuuri on his Short program; apparently Leo had sent him a video of one of Yuuri’s attempts this morning and Viktor wanted to push Yuuri even farther in it.

This of course didn’t mean it wasn’t still fun.

By the time they needed to go to their Apparition Class his sides were hurting from laughing so much and Viktor’s cheeks were red from giggling too much. Yuuri had only ever managed a decent Quad Flip once, but he wasn’t worried. It felt like he discovered some secret that would open up the possibilities of more Quads, he just needed to let his body catch up.

They practically skipped to McGonagall’s office while Yuuri filled Viktor in on their lesson the day before.

“You managed it that fast?”

“Yeah, only the once though,” Yuuri confirmed.

“Hope you don’t splinch yourself, that’s really terrible. I did it about a dozen times before I nailed it.”

“How come?”

Viktor grinned, “You must really focus in History of Magic. Spare me a glance next lesson and you’ll see.”

Yuuri was curious but didn’t press as they entered the office. To their surprise it wasn’t just Mila there, but Sara and Otabek too.

“Beks!” Viktor cheered, “Did you bring it?”

Otabek chucked and pulled out a Quaffle causing Viktor to clap.

There were half a dozen hoops on the floor and Viktor arranged them in a circle, drawing a number in each of them before looking up at the others. “This was how I learned. Otabek will call a number and throw it to that ring and then I Apparate in and catch it. If I’m too slow I’ll get hit in the face.”

“I wonder if Apparating works in here,” Otabek murmured before turning on the spot and popping up a few feet away. “Yup. Should we wait for McGonagall or…?”

“Throw it Beks!” Viktor cried, wand out, a look of excitement bright on his face.

Otabek grinned and called, “Two.”

If Yuuri had thought it would be a nice easy game of catch, he had been wrong. Otabek threw the ball at full power, as if he were going for a game winning goal. The ball moved incredibly hard and fast, but not as fast as the whip that was Viktor who disappeared with a crack, reappearing in the hoop labeled with a 2, blasting the ball right back at Otabek with his wand.

“Five.”

There was another crack and a blast back almost instantly. Again and again the two played their game, Viktor not missing a single ball or hoop. Soon both boys were panting and smiling.

“Your throw has gotten faster, Beks.”

“Glad you could keep up.”

Viktor winked before prancing over to Yuuri and slipping his arms around his neck, “Impressed?”

Yuuri laughed, “Terrified.”

Otabek laughed, “Viktor’s biggest problem was focusing, so we made up this game. He doesn’t have time to think about anything else this way, just the hoop and the ball. It keeps things simple.”

“Doesn’t mean I didn’t get hit in the face a few times.”

“And splinched. That time you did both was funny.”

“It was not, I left my wand arm behind!”

Sara and Mila were howling with laughter.

“You lot seem to be having fun,” The deep voice or Mr. Reid interrupted their giggles, with Professor McGonagall following close behind.

“Mr. Altin, Ms. Crispino, I wasn’t expecting you two to join us,” she said with detached interest.

“I’m just here to assist, Professor,” Otabek replied.

“I’d like to get some extra practice, if that’s alright,” Sara answered a bit shyly. “My birthday is coming soon and I’d like to be able to go see my brother compete, if that’s alright.”

Professor McGonagall seemed to think for a moment but it was Mr. Reid who spoke jovially, “Of course of course! Always room for one more.”

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, “Phillip.”

“Oh come off it Auntie. She doesn’t have to miss classes to practice a bit extra. I’ll leave the whole slipping off for a day or two up to you, of course.”

Yuuri blinked. Auntie?

Professor McGonagall made a rather terse noise, “I suppose if my nephew is alright with teaching you I am as well. We’ll discuss you going to watch your brother at a later date.”

Sara nodded happily and they all began practicing.

Mr. Reid mostly focused on Mila since she hadn’t had instruction before, while Sara and Yuuri just practiced clearing their mind. Otabek and Viktor mostly stayed back, but offered advice when asked for it.

After a while they started getting a bit more consistent in their attempts. Sara could move herself fairly reliably, but her accuracy was all over the place. Yuuri on the other hand was hit and miss, but when he did succeed in Apparating, he ended up in the right spot nearly every time.

He also got his first taste of splinching, leaving behind an ear and a string of Japanese curse words as he did. Mr. Reid moved to sort him out, but Otabek was faster.

“I had to patch Viktor up a lot when he was learning,” he shrugged at the curious looks from the teachers.

“I’m impressed,” Mr. Reid smiled. “If the Quidditch thing doesn’t pan out, you should apply to the Magical Transportation Department.”

Otabek shrugged, but smiled, “I still think I prefer brooms, if I’m being honest.”

“I don’t,” Viktor and Yuuri both mumbled, looking at each other in surprise before giggling.

 

Yuuri discovered what Viktor meant about History of Magic quickly that week. He’d always been so focused on taking notes that he’d never looked over to peek at Viktor. When he entered class on Monday after their private Apparition lesson he glanced over to look at Viktor’s parchment, only to find he already had well spaced, colorful notes filling the page.

“I read the chapters before class and take notes, that way all I have to do is add whatever is new in the lecture,” he whispered seeing Yuuri’s gaze. “You’ll see why in a minute.”

Professor Binns entered the room and started immediately on his lecture. Yuuri’s pen began to fly across the parchment, but he allowed his eyes to occasionally wander in Viktor’s direction.

Every few minutes Viktor would seem to shake himself and jot a note on his parchment. After each of these movements he’d seem to try to focus, his face tightening as he listened, but it would slowly loosen, his eyes growing vague and a bit cross-eyed, pen growing still and loose in his fingers.

The longer class went on, the more and more Viktor fidgeted. He was obviously trying hard to keep his movements small as to not disturb Yuuri, or anyone else, but he was obviously losing his battle with concentration. Feeling pity for his friend, Yuuri carefully moved over and slipped his hand into Viktor’s, squeezing his fingers under the desk.

A blush crept over Viktor’s cheeks, but he seemed able to focus for the rest of the hour.

 

As time passed, skating club quickly became one of the most popular clubs in school, and soon not only their Tuesday practice, but all of their practices were being invaded by more and more onlookers. Viktor had to recruit some help from the teachers and have the door password protected during their closed practices just to keep out the noisy onlookers.

The meetings were even more  of an issue, with so many people coming to skate and see the skaters perform, that they would run out of skates faster than ever.

“We need to break up the group, but we really can’t have any more time spent on club meetings with the GPF Qualifiers coming up,” Viktor sighed as they tried to sort out the situation one morning at breakfast.

“What about Saturdays,” Otabek suggested.

Viktor looked at him, “But I’m not here?”

“I know that, dummy.”

Viktor stuck his tongue out at him.

“What I saying is Sara, Yuuri and I are here. What if we opened the rink in the evenings. Yuuri’s too tired from our morning training to skate his programs hard, and Quidditch matches will be long over by then. If it’s open for 3 hours after dinner that lets people get to skate, but without you all needing to be there.”

Ari and Seung-gil were both sitting nearby and joined in, “We could help too. It’s mostly just making sure everyone is laced up correctly, right?” Ari asked.

Yuuri nodded, “And not skating recklessly. I didn’t know you guys skate.”

Seung-gil nodded, “Not like you, but I do.”

“And if you guys gave us some pointers we could be up to speed enough to keep everything going. We can get some of the others to help, they won’t mind,” Ari grinned.

“Are you guys sure you’re ok helping? You have your own clubs and classes,” Mila asked.

“It’s fine,” Ari smiled. “Besides, most of us goof off on Saturday afternoons while you all are working, the least we can do is help out.”

And so, a few days later, Yuuri and a group of 6th years met on the ice to go over basic safety when skating, checking each other’s skates, and practicing their skating. Yuuri rewarded them with skating his programs for them all when they were done, earning excited applause from all his friends when he finished, and even a few calls for an encore.

The following weekend, the ice was busy most of the day, with students from all the years and houses stopping by to enjoy the open skating time.

“I love seeing an ice rink this busy,” Yuuri sighed, looking at his phone where Viktor was watching the skaters via FaceTime.

“Me too, it makes me so happy. Imagine if we could do this for Muggle rinks too!”

Yuuri laughed, “Planning to open your own rink after school?”

Viktor shrugged, “Maybe. I mean, I do have a lot of money after all, why not promote the sport I love?”

Yuuri smiled and went back to watching the skaters, “I want to make more places where Muggles and Wizards can play together like this,” he whispered.

Viktor smiled, “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

 

As time went on, Yuuri found himself growing closer to Viktor than ever. If they weren’t together they were texting or talking on the phone, and when Viktor was at the castle they were almost always by each other’s side. But despite the fact that they were always together, they were almost never alone. In fact Tuesdays were the only time it was just the two of them.

In classes, at meals, and when studying, the two found themselves almost always surrounded by friends. They were often even involved in different conversations from each other. But that did nothing to decrease the intimacy Yuuri felt with Viktor, because no matter what they were doing, he could always feel Viktor by his side, a warm presence that always seemed to be there for him when he needed it most.

Yuuri had been feeling stronger and more sure of himself since coming to Hogwarts, but he still had his moments. 4 weeks into school, Yuuri woke up one morning terribly homesick and depressed. It was so bad that Viktor pulled him out of dinner that night and held him, just letting him cry. The next morning he told Yuuri to skip his run and call home instead. Yuuri had FaceTimed with his parents for over an hour, even getting to introduce them to Viktor since his silver haired friend had never left his side the entire time; a silent pillar of support.

On other occasions when the occasional anxiety or panic attack would hit, Viktor would quietly pull him away and coach him through his breaths, gently holding him till the nerves subsided. He always felt bitterly embarrassed when these attacks occurred, but Viktor had a way to make even that feel better, noting to Yuuri that each one seemed to be less extreme, passing more quickly.

“You might not be able to totally silence them, but you’re learning how to manage them, and that’s something to be proud of.”

“I just feel so weak,” Yuuri had confessed.

It had been that admission, late at night as he’d had his face buried in Viktor’s chest that had done more for Yuuri than he could have ever imagined. The next day Viktor had him go through his short program again and again, before finally, quietly commenting, “You think this program is weak because you feel you are weak.”

It wasn’t a question and Yuuri felt his blades grow still at the comment as he slowly rolled the words over in his mind. The noise of skates made him look up, and Viktor was moving towards him, “What if you were skating about me? Would it still be weak?”

Yuuri shook his head.

“Why not? I have my weaknesses, you know that.”

“But you fight past them,” Yuuri whispered.

Viktor’s long fingers were on his chin, gently lifting his face, “And so do you. I think you’re far stronger than me because none of what you are is an act. You know which of my smiles are fake, yes?’

Yuuri nodded and Viktor smiled back at him, “But your smile is never fake and that’s why it’s so amazing. I wish I was as strong as you, I wish I could let others see me when I’m hurting. So instead of believing your weakness is something you should hide, embrace it, put it on the ice. Allow yourself to look broken, and it’ll feel better, I promise.”

From then on Yuuri had worked to draw out that part of himself, the part that felt weak and vulnerable. It hadn’t been easy however; he couldn’t just put that side of himself to the front because when he did he often missed his jumps by getting into his own head too much.

“Focus on feeling honestly, rather than nitpicking your faults,” Leo had instructed 6 weeks in when he had brought a huge playlist of songs all of the same theme of expressing weakness and doubt. Yuuri had  skated for hours to songs that all made him want to cry, but slowly his short program was getting better, the emotion slowly coming to the surface with a strong sort of almost confidence, telling the world that being broken was ok.

It was Imara who put the last piece of the puzzle together one Thursday afternoon in October. “Yuuri, do you think I can relate to your program?” she asked after one of the runs, causing both Yuuri and Viktor to turn and stare at her.

“Uh, honestly, no,” Yuuri had answered.

“It’s because you don’t think I have any weaknesses, isn’t it?” she stated simply. Yuuri paused and thought about it, his thoughts interrupted by her soft voice, “You’re wrong. Everyone has them; they just don’t all show them. Sometimes we need someone like you to express them for us. Not everyone is strong enough to show that they are weak.”

From then on Yuuri’s short program just clicked.

“I’m proud of you Yuuri, you’re like a new skater!” Viktor cheered after one particularly clean run-through of his program. “And your jumps! I can’t believe how big they’ve gotten. You’re so centered too. It’s beautiful.”

It was true, his jumps had gotten better, a lot better. Otabek was working him hard every day, his legs and core seemed to burn perpetually and he wasn’t sure he’d sat properly on a chair for weeks, but if Viktor’s stares were anything to go on, it was paying off.

“God Yuuri,” Riko commented to him one morning, “Your ass is amazing. I kind of hate you.”

Yuuri had blushed furiously and Viktor had grumbled something that Yuuri didn’t catch but had Riko giggling uncontrollably.

 

The first Quidditch match of the year came in October, featuring Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff.  Yuuri was worried about the match running long and being forced to leave to get back to training, but Gryffindor had other ideas, completely flattening Hufflepuff 320 to 20, with a masterful catch of the snitch by Jo after just 15 minutes.

“They’re lucky Jo was so fast,” Otabek mused, “otherwise that score would have been way worse.”

Yuuri nodded, he didn’t care much for the sport, but it was fun relaxing with his friends and seeing them do something they loved so much.

Two weeks later Otabek achieved a solid win for Slytherin, 280 to 150. His line of Chasers was incredible to watch, even better than Gryffindor’s, but their Seeker was only average, missing at least one good opportunity to make a catch, and losing the final chase vs. the Ravenclaw Seeker.

Otabek wasn’t too happy when he came to the rink later and skated with Yuuri.

“We might change Seekers,” he whispered.

“Really?” Yuuri muttered back.

Otabek nodded, “To be honest I’d love it if Viktor came out for it. He hates broom flying, but he’s still talented at it and his reflexes are really good, but there’s just no way he can.” He sighed, “There was a second year girl who they decided not to bring on because she’s pretty small, even for a seeker, but I think her natural ability for the position is way better than our current option; he’s just so slow.”

Yuuri nodded, letting Otabek talk about all the theories to building a strong team, not really understanding it, but happy to be there for a friend in need of a good venting.

“Maybe next year I should start a hockey club,” Otabek commented offhandedly.

Yuuri giggled and encouraged him, “Just don’t expect me to come out for it.”

Otabek chuckled, “You should see Viktor play, he’s really good, as long as you don’t try to check him. Then he screams, or worse, does some ridiculous move to dodge you and you end up checking yourself.”

Yuuri snickered at the image, “I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything Viktor’s not good at.”

“Knitting. Some girls tried to teach him once and he got completely tangled in the yarn and had to be cut out.”

Yuuri silently plotted to by him knitting needles for Christmas, if only for the entertainment value.

 

A few hours later the two were in McGonagall’s office practicing Apparition again. Yuuri had been skipping the main practices in order to train, and found these more focused practices with Otabek to be far more helpful.

Otabek had taught him how to play catch, starting with a light underhand toss to Yuuri as he moved from circle to circle, and slowly picking up speed. Whenever they held these sessions on weekdays, Viktor, Mila and Sara would join them, and Otabek would increase the number of hoops, juggling multiple balls as he threw them to one hoop and another.

Yuuri could see now why he was such a strong Quidditch player, it wasn’t just his strength, he was incredibly quick witted and focused, managing to know at all times where every Apparater, ball and hoop was.

Feeling grateful to the teen, Yuuri decided to meddle just a bit one Friday night, taking a selfie of them skating together and sending it to Yurio and Viktor. It was the first picture Yurio had seen of Otabek, and he was instantly convinced the Kazakh teen was even cooler than he’d originally thought, inviting him to Russia as long as he brought his skates.

Otabek responded to the group text informing both him and Viktor of the news Yuuri had been excited to share with Viktor later that night that McGonagall had given them provisional permission to come to the GPF, as long as their grades came up.

“Yuuri! Why didn’t you tell me!” Viktor whined on the phone seconds later.

Yuuri could hear Yurio in the background telling Viktor use speaker phone, “She only just told us, Viktor. I was going to tell you after practice.”

At that point Yurio had stolen the phone and demanded to talk to talk to Otabek, and asked him point blank if he really had a motorcycle. Yuuri couldn’t help but notice the satisfied smile on Otabek’s lips after he hung up and turned to Yuuri, “I need to learn how to drive a motorcycle.”

 

The week before Viktor was set to leave for Canada, Yuuri was starting to reach full panic mode. Every day when he looked at his calendar November moved just a little bit closer, and even though he knew he was more than ready for his regional, his anxiety continued to mount.

“Come on Yuuri,” Sara pulled his arm that Saturday morning when Yuuri did nothing but stare at his breakfast, “we’re going to dance until you’re too tired to worry.”

And so they had, for hours they danced, even calling Minako-sensei for some tips as all three showed off their dances. Yuuri even practiced his Flamenco with Sara; he and Viktor really hadn’t had a chance to practice the dance, and Leo had decided the two could just dance it during the open dance time, figuring that as long as Yuuri’s lead was strong the rest would be fine.

“You should pole dance for them Yuuri, that would really impress…” Minako’s voice was cut off as Yuuri had screeched and dove for the phone cutting her off.

When he turned around Sara and Leo were staring at him, both fighting hard to keep their faces straight. “Pole Dancing,” Leo smirked.

“Like a striper?” Sara bit her lip looking like she was about to cry from the effort to not laugh, “Oh you have to do that. Viktor would die.”

Yuuri groaned, “Please don’t make me, I only learned because it’s good for your core muscles and Minako’s evil.”

Twenty minutes later they had convinced him to get on the pole in exchange for their silence. Yuuri had shucked off his pants, standing in front of them in a t-shirt and boxer briefs, jumping and spinning rapidly on the pole, catching a glimpse of Sara sneaking photos on her phone.

“Do not send those to anyone,” he growled as he hung upside down by his thighs.

“Oh don’t you worry Yuuri, I’m just saving these for Viktor’s birthday,” she winked, and Yuuri was off the pole in an instant, chasing her around the room trying to get the phone, creating quite the photo op for Guang-Hong when he entered and found a half naked Yuuri tickling Sara as he tried to pry the phone from her hands.

If only the ground could swallow him whole.

 

On Thursday Yuuri found himself in Viktor’s room, helping to fold socks and shirts, and carefully packing away all of the gear Viktor would need.

“Do you have your costumes?”

“Yakov has them, as well as my suit for the breakfast Sunday morning.”

Yuuri nodded, “Phone charger?”

“One in my shoulder bag, a spare in the suitcase.”

“Underwear?”

“You should check.”

Yuuri raised an eyebrow but poked into the suitcase immediately spotting the pile of neatly folded under garments Viktor had placed there earlier.

“That’s not what I meant.”

Yuuri snapped his head towards Viktor who was grinning devilishly. Yuuri threw a pillow at him.

When bed time rolled around, Yuuri didn’t want to leave; and apparently Viktor felt the same.

“Stay Yuuri…”

“I shouldn’t, I’ll be out of my dorm for the next week.”

“Stay.”

Yuuri stayed, he didn’t know why he’d bothered arguing; there was never another option.

He crawled under the covers, wearing a pair of Viktor’s pajamas; he thought he might just wear them all week. Viktor immediately pulled him close and Yuuri barely stifled a gasp as Viktor held him close.

“Is it ok if I stay like this tonight?” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri’s heart pounded and he seriously wondered if he’d get any sleep that night, but he nodded anyways.

Slowly his breath calmed and he felt himself relax into Viktor.

“You aren’t sick of waiting for me, are you, Yuuri?”

Yuuri’s eyes snapped open as he stared into Viktor’s ice blue eyes, hovering so close to his own. He shook his head, “How could I when you’re always there for me?”

Viktor smiled, “I promise you won’t have to wait long, if you’ll have me…”

Yuuri’s heart which had finally calmed took back up its drum, beating a frantic rhythm in his chest. “Yes,” he whispered. There was really nothing more he could say.

Viktor smiled and gently snuggled closer, “I can’t wait to show you,” he whispered as he slowly drifted off to sleep. It took Yuuri a while to compose himself enough to sleep, but soon Viktor’s soft breathes lulled him to slumber.

When he woke he was still curled within Viktor’s arms, his own fingers tangled in Viktor’s hair.

 

At the end of classes the next day, Yuuri found himself in Professor McGonagall’s office playing catch with Viktor and Otabek while they waited on the Apparition examiner.

Sara had wanted to test with Viktor, but her Apparition was still far too sporadic, and her birthday wasn’t for another two weeks. Mickey was competing in the Trophee de France and Skate America, so Viktor figured if McGonagall gave her permission, he could help her get to at least one of the competions.

Viktor was so excited he was practically vibrating and Otabek had started the game as a way to keep his friend from doing something stupid like breaking one of the Head Mistress’ knickknacks. Yuuri couldn’t resist joining in. He had gotten pretty good at the game practicing with Otabek, but when he played with Viktor he really started to feel the challenge, as he was forced to keep up with Otabek and Viktor’s incredible pace.

Soon they were all laughing uncontrollably, flying around the room with loud pops, as Otabek directed the two of them hoop to hoop, the Quaffle flying between them faster than ever.

Suddenly the ball was gone and Yuuri and Viktor were both so surprised they lost their balance and fell on the spot, giggling. “What’d you do that for Otabek?” Viktor asked.

“That was very impressive,” a shaky voice spoke from the doorway where Professor McGonagall, Mr. Reid and an unfamiliar witch stood watching them. McGonagall’s mouth was hanging slightly open, while Reid looked like he was suppressing laughter. The old witch just looked mildly impressed.

Viktor and Yuuri both jumped up, Viktor standing almost at attention while bow slightly out of habit.

“Hmm,” she murmured, “well, I see no reason to waste time.” She waved her wand and a scroll of parchment appeared out of nowhere. “Congratulations Mr. Nikiforov, you are officially approved for travel by Apparition. Mr. Katsuki, you’re provisionally approved. Reid, I expect you back here on November the 29th for the final sign-off.”

Mr. Reid and Professor McGonagall just stared.

“Now Minerva, I believe you owe me a glass of Fire whiskey.”

Professor McGonagall only paused for a moment, “Of course, this way.”

The two witches left and Mr. Reid chuckled, “I suppose I’ll see you lot next month then,” and he was gone.

There were about 5 seconds of silence before both Yuuri and Viktor screamed, slamming together in a tight hug, with Otabek piling on top a second later, all three laughing and whooping, tears leaking out of Viktor’s eyes, and threatening to overtake Yuuri too.

“I did it,” he finally whispered.

Otabek patted him on the back, “I told you it would be different here.”

Viktor sniffed, “You were right. Thank you Beks.”

They bumped fists, “No problem, just make sure you get Yuuri and I prime seats at the Grand Prix. I want my first Muggle event to be good.”

Viktor giggled, “Don’t worry, I already talked to the ISU and got 2 sets of tickets and backstage passes.”

“Backstage?” Yuuri squeaked, “You mean the skaters area?”

Viktor beamed, “Yep! You two and Yakov can all come to the Kiss and Cry with me.”

Yuuri nearly fainted.

 

Ten minutes, a couple of good luck fist bumps, and a bro-hug later, Otabek left them alone in Viktor’s room, carrying Viktor’s luggage with him back to McGonagall’s office, telling them not to snog too long, making Yuuri blush up to hair.

Viktor made a soft ‘tsk’ sound and closed the door behind Otabek, slowly turning towards Yuuri, a blush spreading on his cheeks.  They both fidgeted awkwardly for a minute. It was Makkachin demanding attention that finally broken the silence. Viktor leaned down and affectionately rubbed the dog’s sides.

“You be good for Yuuri and Winky, ok Makka.”

Yuuri smiled, “We’ll have a good time. I’ll be sleeping here every night so Makka won’t be lonely, and I’ll sneak him to every class I can and skating practice too.”

Viktor laughed and then looked into Yuuri’s eyes, “You’ll watch me?”

“Of course. Yuuri smiled shyly, gathering his courage, “Um, could you close your eyes?”

Viktor blinked then slowly and deliberately closed his eyes, his breath slow and steady.

Yuuri took a deep breath before gently leaning forward and kissing Viktor’s cheek lightly. He pulled back just enough so he was no longer touching Viktor’s skin, lingering for a moment, a bit too stunned by his own boldness to move.

Viktor’s eyes opened and stared directly into Yuuri’s, blue locked onto brown as his fingers reach forward to intertwine with Yuuri’s.

“I’ll bring back gold for you.”

“You’ll let me kiss it?” Yuuri asked, thinking of how Viktor always kissed his Golds.

“I’ll bring home every Gold this season,” he whispered. “Your lips will get tired from kissing so much.”

Yuuri blushed, “Is that a promise?”

The meaning was clear to them both; they weren’t talking about medals anymore.

“Yes,” Viktor breathed, voice growing low and deep.

Finally after what felt like hours they pulled apart and walked up to McGonagall’s office.

“Are you Apparating straight to Canada?”

“Yeah, Yakov’s flight should land in 15 minutes. There’s a Ministry official meeting me in a back hallway at the airport with all my papers so I can pass through Immigration with him, just like any other Muggle.”

Yuuri nodded as they approached McGonagall’s office, stopping Viktor before they went inside and hugging him once more. “I’ll miss you.”

Viktor sighed, pulling Yuuri closer, “Me too, Yuuri. Soon we’ll both be competing at the Grand Prix, I really can’t wait for that.”

“Me either.”

Viktor pulled away and smiled, “You have a Hogsmeade trip next weekend, right?”

Yuuri nodded.

“Get me a Butterbeer so we can celebrate together when I get back, ok?”

Yuuri grinned, “Sounds perfect.”

Viktor smiled and entered McGonagall’s office, and after a quick wave to Otabek and McGonagall, Viktor secured his luggage and was gone.

 

The week without Viktor was hard. Yuuri tried to focus on skating, but if he was honest with himself it didn’t help much. Skating made him think of Viktor, and when he wasn’t thinking of Viktor he started panicking about Regionals. He kept turning to speak to Viktor in classes or at meals, only to find his seat empty.

Having Makkachin by his side helped some, and he called home more than once and let the two poodles meet via FaceTime. Neither seemed to really understand, but both seemed happy to hear the noises of the other, and Yuuri.

“You’ll get to meet Vicchan soon, Makkachin,” Yuuri assured the Poodle after the first phone call.

Viktor also called every day and texted as much as he could. Yakov had rented them a rink and Viktor was in full competition mode, skating for hours a day and slowly adjusting to the extreme time difference.

Yuuri was just waking up when Viktor would call, exhaustion plain on his face, as he was tumbling into bed. Still, they would often talk while curled up in their beds for as long as they could before either Viktor would doze off or Otabek would bang on the door of Viktor’s room and force Yuuri to go on his run.

Finally Friday arrived. Yuuri was buzzing all day, alternating between overwhelmingly excited and horrifyingly nervous to finally see Viktor skate his programs. As soon as classes were over he sprinted up to Viktor’s room where Makkachin and the laptop he’d borrowed from Jo were waiting. He mentally reminded himself to bring his own laptop back with him next term so he could easily watch the European Championships.

He’d watched some of the practice session the day before, but Viktor hadn’t done much. He’d told Yuuri later he and Yakov were still using the private, rented out rink, only showing up at the open practice session to appease the press for a short while.

Now, with competition soon to be underway, skaters from all disciplines were on the ice, practicing slowly, waiting for their events to begin. Finally the feed switched to the rink where Viktor was skating. Yuuri recognized the Canadian, JJ, and the Swiss skater, Chris, who Viktor was good friends with. The camera followed Chris around the ice as he warmed-up, before he seemed to notice someone and skated over to the boards.

Yuuri saw the flash of silver immediately and Chris leaned over the barrier to hug Viktor. They talked for a minute, the announcers commenting about how many of the skaters were close friends off the ice. On the feed, Viktor pulled out his phone and was clearly shown taking a selfie with Chris. Seconds later Yuuri’s phone vibrated and he couldn’t help but smile as the picture appeared on his screen.

**Yuuri:** I just saw you guys take that on the Live Stream!

**Viktor:** Really? Are we still on?

**Yuuri:** Yup, just behind your right shoulder.

On the stream Viktor and Chris both turned and looked for a few seconds before spotting the camera and eagerly waving, Viktor making a heart shape with his hands. Yuuri took a quick photo of the screen and sent it to them; Viktor looked particularly goofy and soon the friends were laughing.

Yuuri’s phone buzzed again.

**Viktor:** Is Makka with you? Can you take a picture with him?

**Yuuri:** Is this for you or for Chris?

**Viktor:** Both?

Yuuri laughed and snuggled up close to Makka, who was sleeping, and took a quick photo, unable to help the smile on his face that was making his cheeks hurt a little.

**Viktor:** You both are so cute! Chris agrees.

Yuuri blushed and sent back several blushing emojis. Viktor’s text bubble showed him typing back before stopping suddenly. Yuuri glanced at the stream to see Yakov yelling at him and Viktor finally making his way onto the ice.

He immediately pulled a casual Quad Flip out of nowhere.

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh at the smirk that appeared on Viktor’s face as Yakov smacked himself in the face in frustration.

 

Finally the programs started, and Yuuri found himself now surrounded, Viktor’s bed suddenly feeling small with 5 people and a poodle crowded on it; Otabek was perched on a stool next to the bed to avoid the crush while they watched the Short programs.

“This is exciting, I’ve never watched skating before,” Guang Hong commented cheerfully.

“It’s a really fun sport, “Sara commented, “a perfect mix of artistry and physicality.”

“It’s a shame Mila’s not here,” Riko lamented as she tossed some popcorn at Leo. “Where is she anyways?”

“Yakov has her and Yurio in some last minute ballet training with his ex-wife, Lilia. They’re both miserable.” Sara showed them all a picture Mila had sent her of Yurio being bent in half by a very severe looking woman. Mila looked terrified.

While the announcers and organizers completed the final preparations for the competition, the skaters lined up along the barriers, waving to fans and even signing autographs. JJ was leading the home town fans in some sort of song that seemed to refer to him as ‘King JJ’, and had the wizards on Viktor’s bed rolling with laughter. Yuuri snapped a picture of everyone laughing at it and sent it to Viktor:

                _Everyone liked JJ’s theme song :S_

He saw Viktor look down at his phone from where he was greeting some fans and snort into his hands, giggling. The fans looked confused but he just waved them off, before moving onto the next group.

It was a group of girls, right around their own age, all definitely not dressed appropriately for the cold temperatures of the rink. Yuuri felt his eyes narrow.

“Oi, those girls are crazy. They’re going to be freezing dressed like that,” Riko muttered.

“They’ll think it’s worth it if they get Viktor’s attention,” Otabek muttered.  “This happens a lot.”

Sara nodded, “It drives Mickey crazy.”

“Viktor sure doesn’t look happy,” Guang Hong noted.

He was right, Viktor was quickly signing their posters, but seemed to be refusing to sign, if Yuuri had to guess, any body parts. He also declined to take a selfie with them, which was noteworthy in and of itself.

It didn’t stop the taste of bile from filling his mouth, and the uncomfortable tightening in his chest, which felt like some sort of ugly snake swirling in his gut.

Viktor moved on from the girls, heading over to some kids (who looked overjoyed to meet him), happily signing autographs and taking pictures with them, before returning to the skaters areas, where the cameras could not follow.

“I guess Viktor isn’t into anything that cheap and tacky,” Leo muttered. Yuuri curled up on himself tighter as all his friends smiled knowingly at him. He suddenly couldn’t wait until he was skating beside Viktor; he wanted to show the world that no one but him could hold Viktor’s attention, and a part of him wanted to remind Viktor of that too.

 

At last the competition was underway and Yuuri couldn’t help but feel a wave of excitement. Viktor would be skating early in the first group, so he wouldn’t have to wait long to see him skate. Yuuri clutched a pillow to his chest during the entire warm-up, watching his every move carefully, looking for any signs of weakness.

He was flawless. Beautiful. Strong. Yuuri’s heart swelled as he watched, a small voice in his head cooed ‘My Vitya is so amazing.’ Soon the ice was cleared as the competition got underway. Viktor would be third, leaving him little time to finish his warm-up.

Which is why Yuuri was surprised when his phone buzzed right as the second skater was taking the ice, a video call in-coming.

“Viktor!” He cried out as he answered, immediately seeing the face of the silver haired Russian, with Yakov right behind him, looking grumpy.

“Yuuri!” Viktor smiled, “And everyone!” The others grumbled a bit; Riko said something about chopped liver Yuuri didn’t understand. “I wanted to show you something.” Viktor smiled.

Yuuri was going to ask what, but Viktor turned the phone. In front of the camera was a door; he saw Viktor’s hand reach out and push it open.

Suddenly his screen was filled with the crowd and the sounds of the stadium, as fans cheered not only for the skater just beginning his program, but for Viktor coming to the ice.

Viktor turned the phone back to his face, “I’ve got to go, but I wanted you to see that. It’s my favorite part.”

Yuuri smiled, “Ganbatte, Vitya,” he whispered.

Viktor blushed, but his mouth went heart shaped as a smile overtook him, “Don’t forget your promise.”

The call ended and Yuuri’s friends looked at him, “Promise?” Riko asked.

Yuuri blushed, “I told him I’d kiss his Gold.”

“Kinky,” she snickered.

Sara laughed, “It’s Viktor’s thing, he kisses his Gold medals on the podium.”

“I stand by my early statement.”

The second skater finished and Yuuri realized he hadn’t seen any of it, and didn’t care. All he cared about now was Viktor stepping onto the ice and talking with Yakov. He looked focused but happy. Yuuri realized that anyone watching now would probably think Viktor’s program would be uplifting, cheerful; only a few people in the world knew what was about to happen, and he was one of them. His chest felt very warm.

The scores were announced (not that impressive, Yuuri was pleased to note), and Viktor slid to center ice, waving happily at the fans, looking cheerful all the way up until the moment his skates settled at center ice, when a look of focus took over his features.

The song began, light and sweet, and Viktor transformed into a child before their eyes, skipping, playing, happily jumping and spinning. Yuuri could see it now; Viktor wasn’t skating alone, but rather was skating with an invisible person, his mother no doubt. His face was filled with child-like joy. But slowly the music changed, becoming more chaotic, and the child was soon flinging itself around in confusion, hurt, anger, pain. There was a moment when Yuuri was sure he could see the boy Viktor be slapped to the ground by the invisible hand of his father.

Soon, all memory of the happy child was gone, leaving behind only the sad and broken boy, who was left, slowly moving along the ice, his jumps still so beautiful, but now or despairing reminder of what once was, until all that was left was the broken boy laying on the ice at the end of the program, curled onto himself, hiding from the world.

There was a pause but soon the audience erupted in praise, flowers and stuffed animals raining down on the ice where Viktor was slow to get up, obviously trying to compose himself. Yuuri and all his friends (even Otabek) were all trying to dry their eyes.

“That was beautiful,” Riko whispered.

“There’s so much pain,” Guang Hong whimpered, “now I know why Mila’s readings were always a little off from mine. She’s seen this.”

Yuuri nodded, “There’s a lot more to Viktor than meets the eye.”

Viktor was off the ice, receiving a warm pat on the back from Yakov who looked unusually proud. Viktor was smiling and waving, but the moment he sat in the Kiss and Cry his phone was out of his jacket pocket and he was typing on the screen. Yuuri’s phone buzzed.

**Viktor:** How was it?

**Yuuri:** Beautiful. You had us all in tears.

**Viktor:** did I surprise you?

Yuuri smiled before taking a selfie, his eyes clearly tear-filled, and sent it along with the message:

**Yuuri:** You always do.

Viktor stared at his phone on the stream, suddenly clutching it to his heart. The announcers were speculating he was messaging his family, since they weren’t here today. Yuuri realized that no one knew anything about Viktor’s family, as the announcers speculated Viktor’s mother must be very proud of the performance he just gave.

Finally they began to announce the scores. The numbers flashed on the screen and Yuuri and Viktor both wore matching looks of shock before simultaneously whooping with joy on opposite sides of the world. A new World Record. Viktor now held both the Free Skate and Short program records; the announcers were speculating if Viktor could repeat his success from worlds and claim the overall World Record this season.

Yuuri had no doubt he would.

A few hours later the others had left, and Yuuri was curled up with Makkachin in the bed. The live stream was long over, but Yuuri couldn’t sleep because Viktor had messaged him as soon as he’d gotten away from the press that he’d call when he was back at the hotel.

His interviews had consisted of reporter after reporter asking for his inspiration. Viktor told them it was a two part story with his Free Skate so they’d have to wait, but that he was dedicating today’s performance to victims of child abuse, which of course started a firestorm of speculation, wondering if Viktor had been abused himself or was simply trying to raise awareness in light of recent legislation that was passed in his home country.

Viktor himself stayed silent on the point.

Yuuri’s phone buzzed and he answered the video call, careful not to disturb Makka who was sleeping against his chest.

“That looks very cozy,” Viktor whispered from his own bed miles and miles away.

“It is. Makes me excited to get home to Vicchan, he was always a good snuggler.”

“It snows in Japan, right? I bet it’s really nice snuggling him in the cold. I can’t wait to find out.”

Yuuri giggled, “Silly, it doesn’t snow in the summer.”

Viktor looked sheepish, “Uh, actually, I sort of have been plotting with Phichit. He sent me pictures of your home and got permission from your family for me to come after Nationals.”

Yuuri’s eyes went wide, “You’re coming for Christmas?”

Viktor nodded.

“Oh my god! That’ll be amazing…oh god, wait, I need to take down my posters!”

“No way! I want to see them!”

Yuuri shook his head, thinking of the sexy Viktor poster hidden behind his door. Absolutely not.

Viktor giggled, “It’s ok that I come, right?”

Yuuri smiled and nodded, “Yeah, it’d be great.”

 

Yuuri spent most of the next morning with Sara and Otabek. He knew he was in no condition to be on the ice, far too likely to attempt jumps in his excitement, and far too scattered to land them safely; so he stuck to his training and to dance.

He couldn’t help but be reminded of the girls the day before as he danced with Sara.

“I really hated the way those girls were acting towards Viktor,” he told her and Leo as they took a break. “It sounds petty, but I want to prove that he’s mine.”

Sara snickered by Leo considered the point, “What if you danced as a girl in this number?”

Yuuri and Sara both looked up, “Huh?”

“What I’m saying is, approach it from the same angel as Sara. Instead of being the proud boyfriend, which let’s face it, you can’t really pull off with Sara anyways, you be the girl, proving your tougher than any other. This dance would work fine if Mila were dancing your parts, so there’s no reason it wouldn’t work if you approached it from that angle.”

That seemed right? The girl? Yuuri could do that.

Soon they were practicing, he and Sara dropping so hard their bodies were flinging sweat in no time, but the dance took on a whole new meaning, both of them declaring to the world that they were not to be messed with, claiming their partners ferociously. Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder who Sara danced for.

 

In the afternoon the school opened up to allow the students to head to Hogsmeade. Yuuri planned just to run down and grab some Butterbeers, but found himself cornered by Riko and Jo at lunch who demanded he join them.

Jo was dressed in slightly baggy jeans and a cozy looking sweater that Yuuri thought could have come straight  out of his closet, while Riko was dressed a bit wildly, with a fluffy skirt, stripped leggings and a long-sleeved vintage Weird Sisters tour t-shirt.

The two linked arms with him (making him glad he’d showered before lunch) and marched him down to the village. It was less crowded than last time and the two spent the day taking him around the outskirts of town, and showing him some of the less popular attractions. They stopped at a few shops, checking inside the few that looked least crowded and let Yuuri browse to his heart’s content. He picked up quite a few gifts for his friends back home, and it wasn’t till they were on their way home, bags loaded with candy and Butterbeers, that he realized they’d been keeping him away from the crowds all day.

“Viktor put you up to this, didn’t he?”

Riko grinned, “Yeah, but we wanted to do it. We saw what happened last time and were going to help, but Viktor sad he’d take you back if we escorted you here whenever he was away.”

“The large group is fun, but it’s exhausting too,” Jo sighed, “so really, this break was great for us.”

Riko nodded and Yuuri smiled, “Thanks guys.”

 

The programs began that evening, and now it seemed half the school was watching, with common rooms throughout the school borrowing TVs from the Muggle Studies department, and hooking up laptops with the live stream to watch the competition. Yuuri was being bombarded by questions and texts from all over the school. Several people even made a ‘Good Luck Viktor’ banner and had everyone pose with it at dinner. The Muggle Studies Professor had taken the photo on Yuuri’s phone and he’d sent it to Viktor right before the competition, getting a response of about a hundred heart emojis.

It was a long night. Viktor was in the lead at the end of the short programs, so they had to watch two groups perform before Viktor would skate. JJ was in second and Chris was in third. Viktor was texting Yuuri pictures of the two friends warming up in the skaters area. He even took a photo with JJ since Yuuri knew him. Yuuri sent back a photo of him waving, and wished JJ good luck. As soon as JJ walked away he told Viktor to make sure to beat him in retaliation for that song.

Viktor called again just before taking the ice and Yuuri quietly wished him good luck, both of them finding quiet corners to talk in as they stared at each other.

“Will you be home tonight?” Yuuri asked.

Viktor bit his lip, “I have to stay for a breakfast and exhibition tomorrow, but I’ll be back around bedtime.”

Yuuri nodded, “Then I’ll stay with Makka till you’re back.”

Viktor smiled, “Watch me, Yuuri.”

 

Finally Viktor was out on the ice, and the announcers were reminding everyone of his breath-taking performance the day before, speculating on just how strong he’d be this season. Yuuri watched, eyes focused on Viktor, hoping with all his heart Viktor would surprise the world.

The music began, and it was clear, the mood from yesterday’s skate remained intact as he began to glide over the ice. He was now a young man, so pushed down on the world he could barely move, but slowly his skates and the music picked up, and it was if he spotted something far off in the distance, a light to bring him hope.

He jumped into the Quad Toe-Triple Flip combo and began chasing that invisible presence, his steps becoming move sure and joyful. There were still moments when the past haunted him, but now he was moving away, chasing that thing which gave him hope, until finally, he seemed to grab hold of the hand which made his whole face light up with joy. The music swirled and Viktor leapt into a massive Quad Flip, combined with a single loop and a Triple Axel. It was as lovely as Yuuri had ever seen. Now Viktor was positively flying, unstoppable, ready to take on the world and prove that no one could stop him as he clung to the one that changed his life.

The program ended and Yuuri couldn’t help but collapse on himself and cry. Viktor was skating for him, with him. He could feel it. The way he moved. Yuuri had seen the program so many times but it was only now that he understood.

He was so in love with Viktor just keeping it contained was painful.

Viktor’s face was lit up with joy as he waved to the cheering fans, and when he was off the ice and wrapped in his team jacket he was instantly checking his phone.

Yuuri only moved when his phone buzzed.

**Viktor:** Riko just sent this to me, I take it you liked it?

It was a photo of Yuuri watching, tears leaking down his face. He shot her a look and she just winked.

**Yuuri:** I loved it.

Viktor visibly smiled on the live stream, making a heart shape with his hands and staring directly at the camera. Yuuri knew he was looking at him.

The scores came in, no records, but plenty high enough to seat him in first and within minutes Viktor was kissing his gold medal on the podium. The Gryffindor common room was loud with cheers. The live stream ended and Yuuri wandered back to the Slytherin Common Room, only to find Otabek waiting with Makka at the bottom of the stairs.

They took a slow walk around the grounds. It was late so they kept their wands lit and stayed near the castle. They didn’t speak until the way back.

“I’ve known him since we were twelve; I’ve never seen him skate like that.”

Yuuri nodded, “I’ve seen all of his performances and these were the best. By the Final he’ll be unstoppable.”

Otabek grinned, “Yeah, I think you’re right. Are you ready?”

Yuuri didn’t have to ask what he meant. It could have been a question about skating, but he knew it wasn’t, because skating seemed small right now compared to what Viktor had shown him, and his heart knew he was finally prepared to accept Viktor fully.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good Morning y’all. Thanks for the patience on this release; I know it’s a little late in the week.
> 
> Viktor’s casual Quad Flip in warm-ups is a reference to Yuzuru’s causal Triple Axel at Worlds practice. If you didn’t see it, you know [I got your back](https://twitter.com/Pamigena/status/846648118317867008).
> 
> Since it’s been a while since we’ve seen them, a little reminder of Viktor’s music: [Short](https://youtu.be/6R3fYEFCZz8), [Free](https://youtu.be/wZZ7Q6fvqvI).
> 
> In case you missed it, I wrote a little one-shot on tumblr this week in response to an adorable little fan art I happened to see. You can read it [here and give the artist some love](http://ajwolf84.tumblr.com/post/159164311232/danii-mon-just-love-n-sunshine). The fic and art are both SFW.
> 
> There is a possibility I will miss a release in the next few weeks. I will say something on tumblr if that’s going to be the case rather than do a fake update here. Know that it's not me abandoning the fic or anything. The next few chapters are an arch of the story I am incredibly excited for, and I want to do them right. Also I might need to have my wisdom teeth yanked, so that’ll likely put me out of commission for a few days and cause delays whenever that goes down.
> 
> We are now in the back half of this fic. It’s still going to take a while to get there, but I would guess Act 2 has 6-7 more chapters (kind of just depends how I space out the story), then we’ll be in Act 3 which is the last Act! This story has been such a blast for me and all of your comments and kudos have been amazing for me, so I just wanted to pause and really say thank you for your support.
> 
> I also wanted to share that I am working on a few other AUs in the background. Surprise! They are very much side “keep me sane” projects, but I am pretty confident they will be released some time after this fic ends. I’ve learned a lot from writing this fic, so I’m excited to continue to push forward with my writing.
> 
> I’ll share summaries with you in the coming weeks, but here’s a very basic info on the 2 I think most likely to move forward. The first will be a Synthetic AU, if you’ve ever seen the show Humans, you’ll understand the inspiration. This fic with be rated Mature most likely, but I may go Teen; I like creating accessible material.
> 
> The second AU I’m looking at is an Omegaverse AU. Now I know Omegaverse is pretty love/hate, but if you’ve been reading this you know I’m a little different in how I approach things, and I promise you I’m bringing that same touch to this AU. Also, just to calm any fears, there will be NO MPreg or Rape/NonCon. It will be Explicit.
> 
> As I said, I’ll tease you guys with summaries in the near future (I may share a few other AUs I’ve been kicking around in the future as well), so I hope you’ll stick with me as we move forward.
> 
> Feel free to ask questions in the comments, or shoot me an Ask on tumblr if that’s more your style. If you see any errors, please let me know and I’ll fix them. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	26. Always by Your Side

Yuuri woke up Sunday morning to someone gently punching him in the shoulder. He glared up at Otabek with a groan, “Don’t you knock?”

“Six times. How late were you up sexting with Viktor?”

Yuuri smacked him with a pillow causing Makka to yelp in surprise. Yuuri snuggled the poodle, comforting him, “We just talked, and I don’t know. It was late.”

Otabek shook his head in amusement, “I’d lecture you, but I know neither of you will let this affect your grades or skating. Ready for your run?”

Yuuri groaned but rolled out of bed anyways.

“Are those Viktor’s sweatpants?”

Yuuri glared grumpily, “Not a word, Beks, or I’ll tell Yurio you don’t have a motorcycle.”

“I’m sure he’d find the broom just as impressive.”

“Muggle.”

Otabek shrugged, “He’ll find out sooner or later with all of us around him, don’t you think?”

Yuuri paused, “You’re probably right. Viktor told me he already suspects something.”

“So see, nothing to worry about.”

Yuuri just shrugged as they left the dorms with Makka in tow and headed on their morning run. “You don’t think Viktor will get in trouble if he tells Yurio?”

“Unlikely, he’s a Nikiforov after all.”

Yuuri blinked, “What’s that got to do with anything?”

Otabek chuckled, “I forget you’re basically a Muggle, no offense.”

“None taken.”

“You know the Sifting Serum we used in Alchemy last week?”

Yuuri nodded.

“Viktor’s Dad invented that.”

“Whoa.” Viktor had told him his Dad was an Alchemist, but that serum was a ground breaking discovery; one of the biggest advancements in modern Alchemy.

“His grandfather was a big potion maker, his great a bunch of times grandfather was a Durmstrang Head Master, his great Grandmother was some sort of something. I forget. Mom told me ages ago.”

“Why would your mom be telling you about it?”

“Oh yeah, cause we’re related. 4th cousins or something like that. His great aunt married my grandfather’s half brother or something.”

“I had no idea.”

“Like I said, it’s distant. Magical families in Russia and the surrounding counties are pretty intermixed, so we don’t even consider it to be a factor. In Basic terms, his family is like the main house, and mine is a sort of really small branch.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but be impressed, “So he can get away with more things because of that?”

Otabek nodded, “It’s always been weird. No one will outwardly say they don’t like him, or call him a Muggle-lover, they just try and punish him in subtitle ways.”

“Like rescheduling the Apparition exam.”

“Yeah, or by shooting curses at him from behind his back so he wouldn’t know who did it. It’s why he doesn’t trust people easily.”

Yuuri was surprised, “But he seems so at ease here?”

Otabek raised an eyebrow and Yuuri thought about it more. True, he was fairly open with Yuuri, but he almost never spoke to anyone else about anything deeper than the basics of skating.

“Mila and I are about as close to him as anyone, and we’ve know him most of our lives. You’re an exception, Yuuri.”

Yuuri nodded, “I guess that’s why you’re protective of him.”

Otabek smiled, “Yep.” They ran for a while, Makka keeping pace happily by their side. “Viktor and his dad are actually the last of the Nikiforovs.”

Yuuri thought about that, “Are Russians anything like Japanese families? Old houses in my country will adopt people in to continue the line, or arrange marriages.”

“Sometimes. There was actually talk of adopting one of the cousins a few years ago.”

“Really? So you could become Viktor’s brother?”

Otabek laughed, “Probably not, though I’m just famous enough that I’m sure if his dad was thinking about it I’d be a candidate; to be honest, I’d prefer if he chose my sister.”

“How come?”

“The Nikiforov’s have a lot of money, more than Viktor could spend in 5 lifetimes. If they adopted someone, they could lead an easy life and she deserves it. She’s probably the kindest and most giving person you’ll ever meet.” He paused before continuing, “Her name is Irina. She has a twin brother, Malik. Malik’s autistic. Irina and I are basically the only ones who can communicate with him. He’s an amazing kid but it can be really tiring helping him all the time.

“It’s why I started playing Quidditch so much. I’d just get so frustrated constantly being there for him that I needed an escape, so I’d practice Quidditch all day. Then the National team recruited me and I was around even less. Then I got accepted to Durmstrang and left her alone to deal with him. Mom and Dad try, but he just doesn’t connect to them the way he does us.”

He paused, “She even said she’d study via correspondence just so she could stay with him.”

“Wow, that’s really kind of her.”

Otabek nodded, “But it’s not fair, why should I get to run away? I’m the oldest.”

Yuuri didn’t know what to say.

“It’s a moot point now though. My brother didn’t show any signs of magic for years, so we thought he was a squib, but during my 4th year he had one of his episodes where he’d get really upset and frustrated. My sister and mother can calm most any of them, but occasionally he just refuses to respond to anyone but me. This was one of them. And what’s worse is he started spewing magic, so it was really dangerous to get close to him.

“My mom was afraid to call the Medi-Wizards since wizards aren’t great at dealing with development disorders, so she contacted Professor McGonagall and asked her to send me.”

“Wow.”

Otabek nodded, “McGonagall came, pulled me out of class, and Apparated me home herself. She was able to deal with the magic coming off him while I sat with him and comforted him. Once he was calmed down enough the Professor started talking to my mom about the situation. It’s clear he needs some magical training to keep him safe, but it’s hard to know if he can handle school.

“We looked into getting him a private tutor, but there’s just no one able to do it.”

Yuuri frowned. He’d always felt wizards could benefit from a closer relationship with Muggles and this just seemed to be one more case of it. “So what will you do?”

Otabek chuckled, gripping his forehead in his oversized hand, “Actually my siblings are going to come here.”

“Really?”

He nodded, “McGonagall had a bunch of the staff go to some trainings on how to work with Autistic kids so they will be better able to help him. Irina and Malik will get to start here next year. The three of us will room together, maybe Viktor too since Malik knows him, plus he likes Makka, and we’ll take care of him, get him settled before I graduate.

“He won’t do the full course load, but he’ll get to try every class and see how he likes them. Some will be taught privately, while others they’ll keep him with the class if he’s comfortable. The hope is he’ll make friends and eventually he’ll be able to move into a normal dorm room and maybe be able to even do a couple OWLs.”

Yuuri felt his heart swell, “That’s amazing. I’d be happy to room with you guys too if it’d help. Does he skate? I could teach him to skate! Or dance, they always help me when I’m overwhelmed.”

Otabek laughed, “He actually does skate. I taught him a few years ago after Viktor taught me. I’m sure he’d love to skate with you.”

Yuuri grinned, “I can’t wait to meet him.”

Otabek smiled, “Five more miles.” Yuuri groaned.

 

Yuuri spent the rest of the day skating. Celestino and Phichit called him near the end of their practice and watched Yuuri’s routines. Everything felt so right now. Viktor’s performances had inspired him so much that the emotion and excitement in him just couldn’t’t help but pour out.

“Good good, Yuuri. Very good! You know, I was worried about you practicing on your own for so long but you really seem to have hit on something special there. I’m so proud of you!”

Yuuri blushed, “Thanks, Celestino.”

“Are you excited to come home next week?”

Yuuri nodded, “Yeah, I miss everyone. I’m glad this is the only week of school I’ll miss though; it’ll be hard to catch up.”

Celestino smiled, “If anyone can mange, it’s you.”

They made a few more plans for Yuuri to focus on before he came home for Regionals. Slowly everything seemed to be getting closer, more real. He knew Regionals should be no problem, very few competitors on the National level could do Quads, and he had 2 to work with, putting him well above the majority of the competition. It was unlikely that many people would even attempt a Quad at the Regional.

The day passed quickly from there; he spent an hour or so studying in his dorm room with Poster Viktor looking over his shoulder as Judgment Cat lay at the foot of his bed.

Poster Viktor seemed alright, but his reactions reminded Yuuri of someone who was a bit distracted. He didn’t know what to make of it.

He stroked the cat behind her ears while reading a chapter on Goblin uprisings, only vaguely paying attention as he tried to determine if the 2D Viktor was acting normal or not, and what he’d do if he wasn’t.

“I see you’ve met Anastasia.”

Yuuri looked up to see Jo tickling the cat just above her tail, “That’s her name?”

“Yep, she’s an orphan. Some Beauxbaton girl brought her cat here during the TriWizard Tournament and she had kittens. This little one got left behind so Gryffindor Tower adopted her.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but grin, “So you named her after a Russian Princess.”

Jo shrugged, “Not my idea, but it’s alright. You need any help with that?”

Yuuri shook his head, “Just reading now, but getting distracted.”

“Do you need me to take her out?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Jo looked curious, “Is it Viktor?”

Yuuri chuckled, “Yeah, but not the one you’re thinking of.” He pointed up to his poster, “He’s been acting sluggish lately.”

Jo looked curious and started asking Yuuri about Poster Viktor, and soon she had persuaded him to move around and ‘talk’ to her. Suddenly there was a ping on Yuuri’s phone and he checked his messages.

“Viktor’s back!” he shouted a bit too loudly, causing Jo to snort.

“Well don’t let me stop you,” she giggled.

Yuuri gave her a quick hug and sprinted out the dormitory. Viktor said he had just arrived in the Head Master’s Office, if Yuuri hurried he could meet him on the stairs.

The stairs were deserted when he arrived, much to his relief, because the moment he got there and spotted Viktor’s silver hair he yelled, “Vitya!” and jumped down half a flight of stairs to hug him.

Viktor burst into laughter as he caught Yuuri midflight and spun him a bit, hugging him tight.

“Missed you, Vitya,” Yuuri whispered.

“Missed you too, Yura.”

After a minute they let go and Yuuri grabbed one of Viktor’s bags and followed him to his dorm, “So, where is it? I was promised a medal.”

Viktor giggled, “In my suitcase. I’ll get it back in my room. I thought you’d be there.”

“I was studying in my room, 2D gets lonely if I’m away too long.”

Viktor rolled his eyes, “Attention whore.”

“Yes you are.”

“Hey!”

Yuuri giggled as they entered Slytherin Dungeon.

There was a loud burst of cheers as they were suddenly swallowed up by the whole of Slytherin Dungeon, patting Viktor on the back and offering him ‘Congratulations’ and High Fives. Yuuri was confused until he noticed Otabek in the corner grinning mischievously.

Viktor and Yuuri finally pulled themselves free, Viktor and Otabek silently communicating with each other as he followed Viktor to his room.

“Makka!” Viktor called hugging his dog and receiving several slobbery kisses. “Did you have fun with Yuuri?”

Makka yipped happily. Yuuri couldn’t help but blush a little as he slung Viktor’s bags on the bed.

Viktor grinned, “Impatient, are we?”

“Maybe, I’ve never touched one.”

Viktor smiled and dug into his bag, eventually pulling out the shiny medal. Yuuri moved to touch it but Viktor pulled it back, “Nope, kiss first! You promised,” he grinned cheekily.

“Fine,” Viktor held out the medal and Yuuri leaned towards it, then dodged to the side and kissed Viktor’s cheek quickly instead.

He pulled back and began blushing furiously, satisfied that at least Viktor seemed to be too.

 

Yuuri wanted to spent the night with Viktor, in fact he wanted to spend every minute possible with Viktor, but the evening and week were busier than ever. Viktor was up late every night studying, working to make-up the work he’d missed and get a bit ahead for the week he would soon miss.

Yuuri too found his days busy as several of his teachers asked for certain assignments early from him before he missed a week of classes. Fortunately Jo and Ari had gathered their friends together to make sure they had plenty of notes and help on every assignment.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise when the week was suddenly over and he and Viktor had to say goodbye again.

“Stay with me tonight,” Viktor whispered while they were studying Thursday night.

Yuuri nodded and once their curfew grew near, followed Viktor to his room, borrowed a pair of pajamas and crawled into bed with Viktor and Makka. Viktor waved his wand and put out the lights before slipping his arms around him. Yuuri smiled and snuggled closer.

“Are you ready, Yuuri?” Viktor whispered in the dark.

Yuuri nodded, “I’m nervous, but I’m ready.” He wondered if they were just talking about skating now.

Viktor squeezed him tighter, “I’ll call as much as I can, and you call me whenever you’re nervous. I know it won’t be the same as if I’m there, but…”

“It’s ok, Viktor,” Yuuri smiled, “you’re always with me. Even before we met I was looking up to you, and I’d think about how you’d skate, and how much I wanted to skate like you. You’ve been with me my whole life; I only hope I’m doing enough to support you.”

Viktor’s mouth fell open and he blinked slowly, before laughing happily, “You’re doing it again Yuuri. Always making me feel good.”

Yuuri smiled, “Good.”

“Yeah, good.”

 

The next day they left, Yuuri via Floo to his home, and Viktor Apparating from McGonagall’s office.

“You’ll call if you get nervous?”

Yuuri laughed, “I promise, and you call me if you get lonely or sad. If I’m on the ice Phichit will have my phone so he’ll make sure you can watch if you’d like.”

“Really?” Viktor bounced, “Yes yes! Do that! I want to see!”

“Will Mila have your phone while you skate?”

Viktor looked sad, “Actually Mila can’t go. She apparently did really bad on an assignment just before she left so as soon as her competition is over she has to come back. McGonagall wants her grades back up before her next one. Jo’s already agreed to help her, but still, she feels really bad.”

He sighed and Yuuri hugged him. Viktor snuggled against him a bit, “The good news is Sara’s brother, Michele is there. You know him, right?”

Yuuri nodded, “He’s competing as a Junior right?”

“Yep, so since he won’t be busy during my skates, Sara got him to agree to hold my stuff for me, I just have to help him with some jumps during the Practices.”

“Good, I’m glad there’ll be a friendly face there for you.” He sighed, gripping Viktor’s hand. “I got to go now Viktor, but I’ll be sure to call you tonight after I finish practicing.”

They hugged again and this time Viktor kissed Yuuri’s cheek, “Skate for me Yuuri; show me how amazing you’ve become.”

Yuuri nodded, “Promise.”

Yuuri stepped into the fireplace, called out his home’s address and away he went, back to Japan, and away from Viktor.

 

“Yuuri Okaeri!”

“Tadaima!” Yuuri called as he was suddenly wrapped in his mother’s arms. He couldn’t help but laugh at how happy she was. “I’m home mom.”

She smiled kindly, “I’ve missed you.”

Suddenly there was a scampering and Yuuri braced himself as 50 pounds of fluffy poodle came bounding into his chest. He sank to his knees and hugged Vicchan who was happily licking his face.

“Vicchan!” he giggled. He heard a snap and saw he must have dropped his phone because his mother had just taken a picture of him and Vicchan.

“Want to come to the rink with me boy?” Yuuri asked and the poodle jumped excitedly. His mother hugged him once more and handed him his phone, “I think Viktor would like that photo,” she said slyly.

Yuuri blushed, “Mom…”

She giggled, “Don’t bother trying to pretend dear, ever since he sent us an owl asking to come for Christmas we’ve known. Actually we’ve know ever since you hung your 5th poster.”

Yuuri palmed his face in embarrassment. His mother just laughed and waved as he headed off to the rink.

He and Vicchan made their way through Hatsetsu, neighbors waving hello as he passed, happy to see him after he’d been away for 2 months. It felt really good to be home; he smiled to himself when he imagined bringing Viktor here.

He approached the Ice Castle and saw someone waiting, “Yuuko!” he waved.

“Yuuri!” She bounded down the stairs and hugged him. “Okaeri! I have news!”

Yuuri smiled and pulled her over to the steps where they sat, “Tell me,” he said gently. She looked nervous.

She bit her lip, “Takeshi and I got engaged,” she nearly whispered.

“Yuuko!” he cried, grabbing her into a tight hug. “Congratulations!”

She laughed, “Thank you. We haven’t told anyone but our parents. I was a little nervous…”

“Yuuko, I’m so happy for you. I’ve known for years you and Nishigori would end up together.”

She blushed but hugged him back. When they broke apart she grinned mischievously, “Now what’s this I hear about you and Viktor Nikiforov?”

Yuuri groaned, “God, what has Phichit told you?”

The two teased each other back and forth for another minute, Yuuri finally showing her a picture of him and Viktor together from the earlier in the week to satisfy her curiosity a bit, before heading into the rink to warm-up. Celestino was sure to grow impatient if he took too long since he was sure his mother had called his coach the moment he left the Inn.

“By the way, Yuuri-kun…”

“Hmm?” he turned back to Yuuko who was smiling.

“You’re going to the movies with me tomorrow.”

“Eh? I am?”

She laughed and pushed him towards the rink. He shook his head in amusement and entered through the glass doors into that place that was as much a part of his soul as his own home, smelling the ice for the first time in two months.

“Yuuri!” Phichit called.

Soon Yuuri was wrapped up in his friend’s embrace, with Celestino patting him on the back. Practice was short, mostly consisting of a few run throughs of his programs with a few notes here and there about a sloppy leg or poor position.

“Conditioning in the morning, then practice here. You’ll be working with Minako at night at the ballet studio. We’ll do lighter workouts Wednesday and Thursday, competition Friday and Saturday, alright?” Celestino rattled off.

“Hai,” Yuuri nodded. “Celestino,” he took a deep breath, “am I ready?”

Celestino smiled, “For this step? Yes. For what’s next? Well, I think that’s up to you. I get the feeling there is something just out of reach to you right now, but once you grab hold of it,” he grinned and shook his head, “well then I just don’t know what will happen. You have something within you Yuuri. Anyone who sees you skate can see it; it’s just up to you to find it.”

Yuuri collapsed into bed that night. With the time change it should still be early, but somehow he was so tired. He texted Viktor, assuming the other would still be practicing. When his message went unread for several minutes, he assumed he’d been correct, closed his eyes, snuggled into Vicchan’s fur, and fell to sleep.

He was in Minako’s studio again, he was dancing. The boy whose hair was wrong, and his eyes, his eyes… He reached for him.

He woke to the sound of his phone buzzing, Viktor was calling.

“Viktor,” Yuuri whispered, sleep still fogging his mind. Those eyes. He knew them, why did he know them?

“Yuuri, what time is it there?”

Yuuri looked at the clock. It was a lot later than he thought, or maybe early was a better word. He’d be getting up soon. Why was Viktor up?”

“Around 4,” he scratched his head.

“Were you dreaming?” Viktor’s voice was almost a whisper.

Yuuri’s eyes snapped open, “Yes! Why?”

“I was too, just for a second, but it was different. Something about it was clearer.”

“Mine too…what happened?”

Viktor seemed to be struggling, “Sometimes there’s this hand. Sometimes it’s big, sometimes it’s small. The big hand drags me to nightmares, but the small one has never actually touched me. But I saw it again, it was so close….what did you see?”

“The boy with the wrong hair.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t understand it either, it just is all I can think when I see it. Something is wrong with his hair. I saw his eyes, they were…”

“What? What were they?”

Yuuri groaned, “I can’t remember!”

Viktor sighed, “Me either. I wish I understood. I feel like they are connected but I just can’t see how.”

Yuuri sighed, there was something coming, of that he was sure. But what? “Viktor, you were waiting for this competition, weren’t you?”

There was silence for a long time before Viktor breathed, “Yes.”

An unexplained shiver ran down Yuuri’s spine, “Why? What will happen at the Trophee?”

He could sense Viktor searching for words, “I don’t know, Yuuri. I hope nothing, but I don’t know. There’s someone there who has hurt me, I’m afraid of what will happen.”

Yuuri nodded, “Alright then.”

“Pardon?”

“Then I need to skate for you more than ever, to give you strength. Today Celestino told me there’s something more for me that I haven’t reached yet. I think he’s right. So I’m going to reach for it. I’m going to reach for you.”

Viktor voice caught, “Yuuri…”

“So skate hard for me Viktor, because I’ll be skating for you. If they hurt you, tuck it away and think of me when you skate, and then come back to me and I’ll help you mend it. I’ll pull you back from wherever you go. I promise.”

“Even if it’s my own fault?”

“No matter what, Viktor.”

Viktor was silent and then whispered, “Ok. I’ll bring you Gold again.”

“I’ll bring you…well it’s not a medal but I might get a trophy.”

Viktor giggled, “Ok, we can put it next to my Worlds Gold.”

Yuuri blushed, “Now I just feel silly.”

“Nonsense, you’re doing your best, aren’t you? All you need now is time. Keep pushing Yuuri, push and show me your skating, I know you’ll surprise me.”

_‘I love you,’_ Yuuri thought. He wanted to say the words out loud so bad, but they weren’t for the phone when they were thousands of miles apart. “I’ll win, Viktor.”

 

He woke a few hours later and was out the door and off to the beach as the sun was just starting to rise. Vicchan settled into his favorite spot on the beach while Yuuri ran sprints on the sand. They were easier than they had been just a few months before.

He needed to go farther, push his skating further.

Next he was off to the skating rink where he continued his work-out, Vicchan right beside him as if he had never left. Celestino arrived later and he practiced past lunch, only stopping when the ice was taken over by a youth hockey team.

He felt like he was moving very fast towards something.

Yuuko joined him on the walk home, waiting for him while he showered and changed, handing him a couple of rice balls his mother made before dragging him out the door.

“Hurry, we’ll be late!”

“Alright, alright! Why are you dragging me to this?”

“Because I already dragged Takeshi and Phichit, you need to see this movie, it’s so good!”

Yuuri wished he could have asked Phichit if it really was good. Then again, he and Yuuko seemed to have more similar tastes than anyone else, so maybe he didn’t need to worry. He sent Viktor a selfie of them while they waited to buy tickets.

**Yuuri:** I’m being dragged to the movies with Yuuko.

**Viktor:** Sounds like a date

**Yuuri:** She’s engaged. I think if anything it’s a bride/maid of honor thing.

**Viktor:** Now I’m imaging you in a dress

**Viktor:** It’s a good look

Yuuri blushed and shoved his phone in his pocket.

It took a while to get to their seats, Yuuko insisting on Popcorn and Yuuri having to remind himself he’d compete in a few days, only allowing himself a few bites of the buttery treat.

He could sense Yuuko watching him.

“What?” he whispered.

“You have that look.”

“What look?”

“Like you’re searching for something.”

Yuuri looked at her, but then the movie began and he had to turn back to the screen. He supposed she was right. The opening credits began to play.

A red string danced across the screen.

 

“Wasn’t that amazing?!” Yuuko sang as they left the theater.

Yuuri couldn’t help but nod, the music playing in his head as he kept reliving the story again and again. Something about it was tickling a part of his brain. He didn’t know why.

“It was incredible, Yuuko,” he said sincerely. “Do you think it’ll still be out at Christmas? I could take Viktor…though I suppose the language could be a problem.” Though he was sure Wizards had subtitle glasses, he could ask Minako.

“What do you mean?” She looked at him curiously.

“Oh, Viktor’s coming here at Christmas, after Nationals.”

“WHAT?! Are you kidding me?” She jumped him, “You mean that I can meet _the_ Viktor Nikiforov?”

Yuuri laughed, “Yeah, but only if you let me go. If I’m late to practice with Minako she’ll kill me and then you’ll miss your chance.”

Yuuko skipped the whole way home while Yuuri downloaded the music from the movie to his phone, waving goodbye when he separated from Yuuko and entered Minako’s studio.

It was quiet, he could sense Minako somewhere nearby, but for the moment the silence was welcome. He turned on the new music and slowly began to dance.

Maybe this is what he needed, to tell a story through his moves. He’d always skated with emotion, picturing others in his head, but maybe the next step was to tell a story. It was what Viktor did, he realized.

Maybe that was the problem with his short program, it was just a feeling, but there was nothing more than longing behind it. He didn’t have a story to tell.

He danced, some part of his mind filling in the blanks on the story he wanted to tell. Viktor’s hair, his eyes; he wanted to tell him he loved him, but how would he do that when he didn’t know their whole story?

“You’re in love.”

Yuuri tripped, barely catching himself before looking over his shoulder at Minako. He caught his breath for a moment and nodded.

She smiled, “So what’s the problem?”

Yuuri sighed, “There’s something missing, something I don’t understand. I feel like if I did everything else would just…”

“Fall into place?”

Yuuri nodded.

“Doesn’t always work like that.”

Yuuri sighed and sat down, “I’ve been having dreams of this place from when I was a kid.” Minako raised an eyebrow but Yuuri just shook his head. “I don’t understand them.”

“Maybe you’re not meant to yet, maybe you should just focus on what you know, and let the rest come. What do you know?”

“That I’m in love with Viktor, and that there is something within Viktor that’s hurting. I want to fix it.”

“You can’t fix it.”

He stared at Minako.

“You can’t fix people; all you can do is help them fix themselves.”

Yuuri thought about that, “Then I need to focus on myself.”

Minako nodded, “How bad are your nerves right now?”

“A fairly steady panic.”

She nodded, “Now imagine this is Worlds.”

Cold sweat broke along him skin.

Minako nodded, “And that’s why we’re going to train even harder. If we train your body to know what it needs to do, even your mind won’t be able to convince it otherwise. Focus on the things you know, and put aside those you don’t.”

And so he danced until nothing remained but the things he needed to skate.

 

Monday was much the same; he awoke early, trained with Vicchan by his side, sent Viktor a video of the pup chasing some seagulls, and then made his way to the Ice Castle to work with Celestino. It felt like the last 2 months hadn’t even happened; it was just so normal.

There was only one class at the Ice Castle in the afternoon today so Yuuri skated as hard as ever had, finally taking a break just after lunch during the hour the rink was reserved. He was about to run home for some food when Nishigori showed up carrying a bento.

“Lunch?” he asked.

Yuuri nodded and they made their way to the stairs outside. It was cool but still pleasant enough weather.

“How’s school?” Nishigori asked, clearly buying time; Yuuri didn’t know him as well as Yuuko, but they had known each other their entire lives.

“Great. Better than I could have imagined actually.”

“So you’re happy you went?”

Yuuri nodded, “When’s the wedding?”

He smiled, and Yuuri was happy his hunch was correct; he could always tell when Nishigori wanted to talk about Yuuko.

“Yuuko wants to do it over the summer so you can come.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

“My mom wants us to have it in April, Yuuko and I are asking her to hold off until June for you.”

Yuuri nodded, “Am I in this thing?”

Nishigori chuckled, “What do you think?”

Yuuri groaned, “I need to wear a Kimono don’t I?”

“Yup. And if you don’t bring a date Yuuko will beat you silly.”

“She just wants to meet Viktor,” Yuuri grumbled.

“She just wants you to be happy. Did you like the movie?”

Yuuri nodded, “It was really good. There was something about it…” he trailed off, unsure how to continue.

Nishigori nodded, “The moment we saw it Yuuko insisted you needed to see it. Not just ‘Oh Yuuri-kun should see this’ but practically willing time to move faster so you could get here. She insisted Celestino give you the afternoon off, and if he hadn’t she would have reserved the ice to force the issue.”

“Wow, why’d she want me to see it so bad?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never understood your bond with her. Sometimes she just knows what you need, even before you do. When you were a toddler she used to just stop while we were playing and drag you to the bathroom. Right around the time you’d get there you’d realize you had to go.”

Yuuri groaned, he’d forgotten about that.

Nishigori just laughed, “She’ll make a great mom one day.”

Yuuri grinned, “Is it true you’re taking over the rink?”

“Eventually. For now I’m working there. Yuuko will join me after we announce the wedding at the New Year. Be sure to buy us a present.”

“Yes yes, I’ll get you a tea set.”

“Boring!”

They devolved into giggles. It was nice, he hadn’t really had enough alone time with Nishigori lately.

“Takeshi,” he said softly, blushing slightly. The other teen seemed to flush a bit too. “I’m glad Yuuko has you to look out for her. She’s such a good friend, she deserves it.”

Takeshi slapped him on the back happily, “Make sure you do good at Nationals. Once you’re famous we can use you to promote the rink!”

Yuuri stuck his tongue out.

 

The rest of the week was much of the same. He felt like he spent most of it running towards something, he knew where he stood but not where he was going, and for the first time it was ok.

It was almost a surprise to him when he walked into the unfamiliar rink on Friday morning, Celestino and Minako flanking him, music playing in the buds within his ears blocking out most of the sound.

Because of his strong performance in his earlier sectional he would be skating late in the program tonight, 3rd to last, which seemed like a great position to him. He’d woken up to dozens of messages from his friends and many pictures from Viktor that he’d taken in France. He was apparently enjoying the opportunity to use his French.

Yuuri didn’t know any of the Senior skaters at Viktor’s Qualifier, but Michele was competing as a Junior. Viktor had promised to pass along Yuuri’s greetings to him. He was pretty sure Sara had also given him a package of fresh cookies to deliver to her brother. She was hoping desperately to go to Skate America to see Michele and Mila skate.

The media seemed obsessed with some story that the Silver Medalist from Worlds had been calling Viktor out, declaring that he would crush the younger skater in competition.

Viktor had stayed silent, only promising to skate his best for his fans. He was far more subdued than he been at Skate Canada.

Yuuri hoped he’d be done for the day before Viktor arrived at the rink. He should rest, but somehow being able to talk to his friend seemed more important.

Yuuri spent the morning being drilled by Minako who had him in a back hallway stretching and keeping warm. Celestino was out at the rink keeping an eye on the competition when Minako’s phone dinged, and she smiled.

“I’ll be right back, Yuuri,” and with a pop she was gone.

Yuuri gaped at the place she’d been for a few seconds before she suddenly popped back, this time with a cheerful looking Phichit in tow.

Yuuri laughed and hugged his friend, “I thought you had a test?”

“I did, I finished it just now and had Minako come get me. I couldn’t miss seeing you skate!”

Yuuri laughed and teased, “You just want to talk to Viktor.”

“That too,” he winked.

Before he knew it, it was time. Phichit was manning his phone, showing Viktor the rink and occasionally scanning over Yuuri and Minako as they completed final preparations. Celestino had even lectured Viktor for a bit, telling him to call him if he needed anything at his own competition.

Viktor was still in his hotel room since his competition wasn’t for several more hours. He looked cozy in his sweats. Finally as the skater before Yuuri was getting ready on the ice, Phichit finally handed the phone to him.

“Are you ready?” Viktor asked.

Yuuri nodded.

“Nervous?”

Yuuri nodded.

Viktor smiled, “Just pretend I’m the only one there.”

Yuuri took a deep breath pulling himself into a quiet corner, “Can I tell you a story?”

Viktor looked surprised, “Ok.”

Yuuri smiled, “I don’t remember the day of my wand choosing. All my mom would tell me is there were some problems, but still, that was the day my wand and I first met.” Inside his jacket he gently ran a finger along his wand. “Your wand is like your closest friend, and I don’t remember how we found each other; every time I use it there’s this part of me that’s so sad.”

Viktor was smiling sadly, “But you’re making new memories with it now.”

Yuuri nodded, “It makes me cherish the memories I have with all of my friends even more. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time we met,” he chuckled, “either of them.”

Viktor smiled, “Me either. Will that be your story today? How we met?”

Yuuri nodded.

Viktor grinned, “You know my free skate is about the first time I saw you skate?”

Yuuri had suspected as much, but to have it confirmed...

“Yuuri, it’s time to go!” Celestino called.

Yuuri sighed and smiled at Viktor, “I’ve got to go now. Watch me?”

Viktor nodded. They both stared at each other, the words neither of them were saying hung in the air. Yuuri handed his phone to Phichit and removed his jacket, and after a quick word from Celestino, slid onto the ice, waving at the crowd, who seemed unusually excited for a Regional event. Phichit was holding his phone up towards the ice, but without his glasses, his friend and coaches were just a boisterous blob in the distance.

His costume this time was a pair of simple, black, fitted pants. He had a matching black vest and a short sleeved, ice blue button up shirt underneath that reminded him of Viktor's eyes. It was simple, but it looked good; he felt good wearing it. As much as he liked his Free outfit, it was a bit more sexy than he was used to.

He took his place at center ice and let his mind flit back to that first Saturday at Hogwarts, the way it felt to see Viktor skate all alone; and the music played.

It was soft and sweet and Yuuri couldn’t help the small smile as his blades slid along the ice. This song was like falling in love, soft, peaceful, gentle. It crept up on you slowly and before you knew it there was nothing else. He didn’t know when he’d truly fallen in love with Viktor, but at least a small part of his heart thought it was that first Saturday when Viktor skated.

He moved into his first jump, a Triple axel from a spread eagle. He might not be the best jumper, but he had a strong axel, and his entries were some of the best. Into a combination spin, his body careful and smooth as he spun.

He didn’t have much of a story to tell this season, but next season he’d tell the story of how he fell in love with Viktor. That was a story he wanted to share.

His Quad Salchow coming right at the beginning of the second half was slightly shaky on the landing, but smooth enough. From what Minako said no one else had more than one Quad, and they were all Toe Loops. He was ok, no need to panic.

He focused on his steps, making every movement intentional and perfect, just like Minako would demand. This was his skating; this was where he was most at home. He slid into an Ina Bauer, letting his spine flow attractively as Minako had always drilled into him.

Finally the combo came and Yuuri simply imagined Viktor completing his Quad Flip and the combo came so naturally, he even raised an arm during both jumps, something he’d never done in competition before. Ah, this made him happy. He spun one last time before coming to a stop, breath heavy in his chest.

The sound exploded around him, far greater than he’d thought possible from a crowd this small. With a few waves and bows he made his way back to his friends. Phichit was squealing and Minako and Celestino were both smiling, patting Yuuri on the back, though Minkao did scold him for a sloppy free leg on one of the early spins, which just made him smile.

His eyes were focused on Viktor who had a tear in his eye. Yuuri slipped the ear buds in and took the phone on his way to the Kiss and Cry, not speaking, just focusing on Viktor. Minako was laughing at him.

“You were beautiful, Yuuri,” Viktor finally spoke. “That combo, stunning.”

“Makes sense, I was thinking of you.”

Viktor smiled and sighed, he looked about to say something but then the scores were announced and Yuuri grew silent. As soon as they were called Yuuri screamed, Phichit tackled him and Celestino and Minako wrapped him up in the biggest hug he had ever felt.

“What what?” Viktor whined, “I couldn’t hear them!”

“First,” Yuuri whispered. “New personal best, 97.56.”

“Yuuri!” He cheered, “That’s so good! That’s as good as an International level skater!”

Yuuri laughed, “Not as good as you.”

“As good as I was during my senior debut.”

He was right, and that thought made Yuuri smile.

 

The rest of the night went by in a blur. Yuuri remembered getting a call from Viktor just before his short program, and watching while Michele held the phone. He remembered cheering when he scored above 100, though he didn’t really know what his score was. According to the texts waiting for him in the morning he was very cute when he was asleep.

By the time his Free Skate was approaching Viktor was up again and looking cheerful, telling Yuuri he was going to the rink as late as possible. “I wish I didn’t have to go until it was my turn, but I have to check in an hour before the competition.”

Yuuri nodded and watched as Viktor did some morning stretches, it was really keeping him calm. Finally it was his turn to skate. He was in first after the previous day, and while that came with some nerves, they were being kept mostly at bay by the too cute way Viktor was showing him the Paris skyline from his hotel room.

Again he handed his things to Phichit and was soon on the ice, the familiar program coming so easily to him. Suddenly it was over, and his mind was filled with happiness. He knew he’d done it. He had the most technically difficult program there and he’d completed every element.

He was surrounded by his coaches and friend, Viktor in his ear telling him how proud he was. Before he knew it he was on the podium accepting a trophy, happily waving to the fans. Viktor had promised to call once he was at the rink which gave Yuuri the strength he needed to talk to the reporters, all of whom were excited to learn about him since he’d come out of nowhere.

At the advice of Celestino he didn’t mention Viktor, though he wanted to. He supposed they’d figure it out if he was in the Kiss and Cry with Viktor at the Grand Prix.

 

After a fairly short train ride home he was back at the Inn enjoying his mom’s famous Katsudon, “As a reward for your performance today, Yuuri,” she told him, with a big smile on her face.

He snapped a picture and sent it to Viktor who called a few minutes later while he was still eating, “That’s Katsudon? It looks so good!”

Yuuri nodded, “I’ll make sure we have lots of it when you come here.”

Viktor smiled but it faltered a second later as some skater walked by and said something to him in French. Viktor’s face darken.

“You ok, Viktor?” Yuuri asked softly.

Viktor turned back to the phone and nodded, though he didn’t look happy, “Just someone I don’t get along with. I was able to avoid them yesterday but I think they’re trying to psych me out a bit today since I’m in first.”

Yuuri smiled sympathetically, “Don’t let them get to you. They don’t matter.”

Viktor smiled a bit sadly, “It’s not so much what they’re saying, it’s more that it brings up a lot of old memories and doubts I had about myself.”

Yuuri struggled for the words to say, finally settling on what felt most natural. “No matter what happens, I’ll always be your biggest fan, and your best friend, Viktor.”

Viktor blushed slightly before someone seemed to get his attention, “Ah, looks like it’s almost my turn. I’ll get Michele to hold the phone so you can watch.”

Yuuri nodded and soon the screen showed Michele smiling, “Hello Yuuri.”

“Hi Michele, how’d your skate go?”

He nodded, “Well, I got second. I still have one more Qualifier to go, but I should be in good position to go to the Junior Grand Prix. A good finish there will really set me up well for my Senior debut next season.”

Yuuri nodded, “I’m really excited for you. I know Sara’s working hard so she can come watch you as soon as possible.”

“She is?” He looked really happy, making Yuuri grin.

“Yeah, she’s been studying hard and taking extra lessons. Her grades have been going up steadily. She might get to go to your Qualifier. Mila’s there and Viktor’s planning to go with her to support her so he can bring Sara with him as long as the Head Mistress approves.”

Michele seemed to be swelling with pride and joy, “Oh, here we go!” he cried, turning the camera to the ice as Viktor stepped out onto the smooth sheet. Viktor smiled and waved at the camera and Yuuri waved back.

Viktor didn’t look like himself, and as the French skater passed him he said something that made Viktor stiffen in a most unViktor-like way. Michele grumbled something in French Yuuri didn’t understand but Viktor nodded. Yuuri was surprised to see Michelle stick out a fist and bump it against Viktor’s.

With the scores announced Viktor slid out to center ice, looking back at Yuuri a few times as he went. Yuuri focused on making sure he didn’t take his eyes off Viktor, despite how bad he wanted to take another bite of Katsudon.

When the music started, Yuuri could tell right away something wasn’t quite right. It was beautiful as always, but the feeling wasn’t there, not like last time. Rather than telling his story, it looked like Viktor was trying to catch up to, trying to be worthy of it, but falling short.

It was obvious he knew it too because he downgraded one of his jump combos early on. He still completed his flip and the Quad Toe Loop-Triple Flip combo, but he didn’t fly like he usually did. He seemed to be forcing it, which wasn’t like him at all.

When it ended he was breathing hard and he looked disappointed, but Yuuri didn’t let it phase him, cheering hard for Viktor (and disturbing a few guests in the process). Viktor took the phone back from Michele after quickly exiting the ice and just stared at Yuuri. He didn’t seem like he could talk so Yuuri just spoke to him, telling him how well he did, and how he couldn’t wait to see him the next day. Viktor smiled a bit more then, but still looked sad.

Finally the scores were announced and Viktor landed in first. It was a much slimmer margin than his last competition, but that was alright.

“I’ll see you soon, Viktor,” Yuuri whispered into the ear buds. “Would you like me to kiss your gold again?”

Viktor blushed, “Like last time?”

Yuuri smiled, “If that’s alright.”

Viktor nodded, “You should get some sleep, Yuuri.”

“Alright, I will, but you call me if anything happens ok?”

Viktor nodded and hung-up; Yuuri couldn’t help the nagging sense of worry in his gut.

 

He spent most of the next day with his family. Celestino stopped by with Minako and they discussed Yuuri’s training up until Nationals. Phichit ditched practice and the two of them hung out in Yuuri’s room, talking about school while Yuuri absentmindedly took down most of his posters, stowing them away. He kept up a few of his favorites. There was no use denying he had some, Viktor knew that, but he could keep it calm so as not to set off too many red flags.

Phichit giggled at him the whole time and Yuuri was pretty sure he snapped a picture of Yuuri taking them down as blackmail later. He didn’t really mind.

In truth his mind was focused on Viktor, wondering how he was doing. He hoped Viktor had gotten some rest and didn’t have to deal with skaters too much today

Finally it was nearing dinner time and he hugged his family for a long time, feeling better in the knowledge he would see them again in only a few weeks. Soon he was back through the fireplace and in Viktor’s room where an excited Makkachin was waiting. Otabek was waiting as well and patted him on the back as he came through.

“Everything go well?”

“Yeah, I qualified for Nationals so now I just keep improving till then. I scored personal bests this time so I’m in a really good place for it.

Otabek smiled, “Good, then I guess it’s time to get back to training. Your legs still look sloppy near the end of your programs.”

Yuuri groaned, but after a quick change he and Makka met Otabek down on the lawn for a long day’s training. He wasn’t thrilled about the work, but it did help him pass the time until Viktor returned.

At least he thought it would. Viktor wasn’t at dinner, and when he asked Professor McGonagall if he’d arrived back she informed him that Viktor had seemed very tired, so she’d sent him to his room with a sleeping draught from Madam Pomfrey.

“He should be fine by tomorrow, seems he just didn’t sleep well last night. Something about noise in the halls all night at his hotel.”

Yuuri scratched his head and considered sneaking by anyways, but his gut told him to wait. If he’d take a sleeping draught it was unlikely that much of anything would wake him.

Except Viktor wasn’t at breakfast or Defense Against the Dark Arts the next morning. By lunch when he still hadn’t showed up Yuuri was worried. If Viktor wasn’t at History of Magic too, Yuuri resolved to go check on him. He didn’t make it that far.

He felt a tug on his sleeve as he started to walk out of the Great Hall.

“Yuuri…”

It was Mila with Sara close behind her.

“Mila have you seen Victor?”

She shook her head, “That’s what I came to talk to you about. I think you should go to his room and check on him. I’m worried. Victor doesn’t skip class like this…”

Yuuri nodded. He was about to walk away when Mila grabbed his sleeve once more.

“Listen Yuuri, there’s something you should know. This has happened before.”

She bit her lip and Yuuri looked at her questioningly, willing her to tell him. She leaned a bit closer before whispering, “It was after Europeans last year. He left early, completely ditching the Gala, and then he skipped practice the day he was suppose to get back. No one could get a hold of him and no one knew where he was.

“Eventually Yuri went to his apartment thinking he was just slacking off. I don’t know what happened but all of a sudden Yakov and Dr. Petrov were racing out of practice, when they came back they had Yuri and Viktor. Viktor looked bad, and Yuri wouldn’t tell me what happened.”

“A couple of days later Dr. Petrov told me he’d had been really depressed. I’ve never seen him like that, Yuuri. He looked like he was just completely gone.” 

A deep worry settled in Yuuri’s gut as he turned to Sara, “Did Michele tell you anything?”

She nodded, “That French skater, Killian whatever his name is, Michele heard him call Viktor a slut when he was getting off the ice. And apparently this morning there was some fuss, something about someone screaming in the halls at the hotel.”

Yuuri felt his heartbreak a bit. He knew something had been going on when he saw that exchange, and he was glad that at least Michele was there.

Now it was Yuuri’s turn; he had to help him. There was just one problem.

“The password,” Yuuri groaned. “They changed it last week and I haven’t been there yet, I don’t know it Mila!”

She looked around, jumping up, impressively high, looking for someone.  She circled a bit and then suddenly shouted “Otabek!” She waved frantically, and Yuuri heard more than saw the small ripple and parting of bodies in the hall as Otabek walked towards them. He raised an eyebrow in question.

“Beks, we need the password to Slytherin.” Mila pleaded. “Victor’s not in class, we think something might be wrong.

“Bulbasaur.”

Yuuri blinked, “Excuse me?”

“The password is Bulbasaur."

"Thank you...b-but um, you mean like the Pokémon?"

Surprisingly Otabek grinned. "I happened to be in common room when the Prefect was selecting the new password. He was having a hard time coming up with one and asked me. He thinks it's a plant from Kahkistan."

Mila and Yuuri were both staring at him, mouths agape.

Otabek's grinned, "The guy is kind of a dick, so I thought to play a joke on him. My brother loves Pokémon, so that's where I got the idea."

Yuuri couldn’t help but chuckle, “Thanks Otabek,” he smiled and with a reassuring smile towards Mila and Sara as he raced off to the Dungeon.

He skidded to a halt in front of the blank wall and muttered, "Bulbasaur." To his relief, the door swung open.

He was through the empty common room, down the hall and at Victor's door in mere seconds, pausing only for a second before knocking quietly on the door. There was no answer but he heard a whine from Makkachin. That was all the excuse he needed.

He slowly swung the door open. At first the room appeared empty, not even covers on the bed, but then he noticed Makkachin's hind quarters poking out from behind the bed. He circled round and saw him.

Victor was curled up on the floor, wrapped in his covers, with Makkachin lying beside him. There was an untouched plate of food, a glass of water, and plenty of food and water in Makka's dish, so Yuuri was sure Winky had been in and attempted to care for him.

Carefully, Yuuri stepped around Makka and crouched down beside Victor. He vaguely looked at Yuuri but said nothing. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was a tangled mess, as if he’d been pulling and twisting it for hours. His body was covered in blankets, but he looked frail, wrapped up tightly in on himself.

But was most disturbing was the pair of scissors lying on the floor near his hands.

Yuuri scooted beside him, kicking the scissors out of reach, and slowly gathered Viktor up, blankets and all, into a gentle embrace. At first he didn't respond, but after a few minutes he snuggled against Yuuri, his face resting against his collarbone.

After another minute Yuuri felt warm tears trickle down his chest, dampening his shirt. He squeezed Victor tighter, but said nothing.

He stayed there for a long time, not caring if his butt hurt or if his leg had gone numb, he simply waited, willing to stay there as long as it took.

Victor finally stirred at least an hour later.

"Thirsty," he whispered.

Yuuri quickly grabbed the glass of water and handed it to Victor, who had snaked his hands out from the confines of the blanket to take the glass. He drank slowly, but eventually finished the whole cup. Makka seemed pleased.

“Do you want to try eating?” Yuuri whispered

Victor thought about it. “I am hungry, but none of that seems very appetizing. I’d rather have Katsudon.”

Yuuri tipped his head, “Did you get it in France or something?”

Victor shook his head, “No, but you like it.”

They were the simplest words but Yuuri was floored; there was a warmth in his chest he wasn’t prepared for. Blushing a bit, he leaned over, never letting go of Victor, and pressed the small button that he knew would call Winky.

Victor quietly asked, “Do you think we could take Makka for a walk around the lake?”

“Sure, I’ll ask Winky about some food and then we can go for a walk. Most everyone’s still in class so it’ll be just us. Then we can eat in here. How’s that sound?”

Victor nodded, “That sounds great.” Then he frowned a bit, “but maybe I’d like to skate with you too.”

Yuuri smiled and softly kissed his forehead, “We can go after dinner.”

He heard the panel in the wall open and Winky appeared looking worriedly at Victor, who timidly smiled at her. Yuuri spoke, “Hi Winky. I’m going to take Victor and Makka for a walk, but do you think you could ask the others downstairs to make us two big bowls of Katsudon? They made it on the first night and Victor never got any.”

“Winky can make it for yous herself.” Winky replied.  "Winky is a good house elf, doesn’t like seeing Master upset. When Master is sad, Makkachin is sad. Winky doesn’t like that.”

Yuuri's heart warmed. “Thank you Winky, that would be great.”

“Does Master want a bath? Winky could bring some warm water.”

Yuuri looked at Victor. Viktor nodded a bit, not quite ready to come out from the covers. Yuuri smiled at Winky, “That would be nice, Winky. Maybe just a basin full?”

Nodding, the elf slipped back into the wall, returning remarkably fast with a large wash bin, filled to the brim with steaming hot water, and a few fluffy towels balanced on top of her head. Setting the vessel on the ground, she handed Yuuri the towels. “I’ll bring dinner up in about an hour. You enjoys your walk Masters.”

The panel of the wall slid closed and Victor slowly emerged from his nest of blankets. He was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear and blushed a bit sheepishly at Yuuri. Yuuri kept his face passive, though he admittedly was having a hard time resisting the urge to look. He busied himself by dampening one of the towels and handing it to Victor.

“Thanks,” Viktor whispered as he slowly began patting his own face and body with the warm, wet towel. “Would you mind getting me some fresh clothes?” He asked with a bit more life in his voice.

“Sure,” Yuuri stood and went to the wardrobe, pulling out fresh undergarments, a pair of jeans he knew Victor favored, and a cozy sweater that he was pretty sure was cashmere. It was some color between red and pink that Yuuri had always thought looked nice on him. Maybe it would have been better to give him training clothes, but somehow he thought Viktor needed something a bit nicer for now. Turning, he saw Victor seemed to have finished washing up and was sitting on the bed, slowly brushing his hair.

Yuuri sat the clothes down beside him and ask, “Need help?”

Victor looked at him, then nodded, handing Yuuri the brush. Yuuri gently tugged the brush through the slightly tangled mane of silver threads, marveling at the fact that he was here, doing this. He wondered if this was as intimate as a gesture in Russia as it was in Japan.

He heard Victor hums in a satisfied manner. “Feels good, Yuuri. My mother used to do this. I miss it.”

Yuuri sat quietly, letting Viktor continue if he chose. He finished brushing out the teen's hair and took a hair tie from the nightstand and gently wrapped it around the long sheath and into a loose knot at the base of Victor’s neck.

Victor stood and looked at Yuuri, “Would you?” he motioned and Yuuri understood he was going to change. He nodded and turned around. He heard Victor ruffle through the clothes and then, “I miss her.”

Yuuri felt his heart clench a bit. He wanted to hug Victor right now, but he knew he had waited till this moment to tell him for a reason. Yuuri would have to wait till Victor was ready for him.

Finally, after what felt much longer than it was, Victor approached him. “Do you want to wear my jacket instead of your robes?” He was holding out his red and white team Russia zip-up jacket.

Yuuri nodded, “Thanks.”

He’d skipped all his afternoon classes; he’d have to apologize later. It was worth it. He slipped off the robes, and took the jacket and pulled his arms through the sleeves before zipping up the front. It smelled like Victor.

Victor was glancing at him, it was shy, but somewhat inviting; Yuuri went to him and wrapped him in a gentle hug. “Would you like to tell me about your mother?”

Viktor nodded, "I want to tell you everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Got this chapter out faster than I expected. Had my wisdom teeth out yesterday so I pushed to get this done before then. I figured I'd be down for the count and unable to do my edits for several days but surprisingly I'm pretty fine. Brain's a little fuzzy but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Everything went absurdly well so I'm not even in pain, huzzah! So yeah, now you all benefit. :)
> 
> Also I got my YOI shirts from Hot Topic this week so I'm proudly wearing one now. 
> 
> Next chapter is about half written, but I wrote it a long time ago so it will likely go through a heavy edit. Viktor's going to finally tell his story. :)
> 
> I know a lot of you have been saying Viktor needs a hug so I made sure Yuuri gave him a big one in this chapter. You may all pat yourselves on the back for that.
> 
> [Yuuri's Short program music](https://youtu.be/HwkahjVIMHo).
> 
> [Yuuri's Short Program outfit](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB19GnpJFXXXXcMXFXXq6xXFXXXm/Custom-font-b-Figure-b-font-font-b-Skating-b-font-Clothes-For-font-b-Men.jpg) (only a different colored shirt).
> 
> Some other research/reference I haven't dropped before: Viktor's [Apartment](http://www.delightfull.eu/en/inspirations/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Modern-Apartment-in-the-Residential-Complex-Lumiere-in-St.-Petersburg-2.jpg) and [Bedroom](http://www.delightfull.eu/en/inspirations/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Modern-Apartment-in-the-Residential-Complex-Lumiere-in-St1.jpg).
> 
> The movie Yuuko took Yuuri to see was [Your Name](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5311514/). I saw it this week and it was amazing so it got added in. It really spurred some ideas for me so you can expect some future references in later chapters (nothing spoilery, I promise). Go see it if you can!
> 
> And, if you ever wondered how I kept track of all the event dates and thought it was something boring like a list, oh no, I am way too much of a dork for something so simple. Rather, [Yuuri has a calendar he brought to Hogwarts that he's been keeping track of stuff on](http://i.imgur.com/fiOLkAN.jpg), because Yuuri is adorkable.
> 
> Also, I want to give a HUGE thank you to acwisse15 who made [this awesome drawing of Viktor](https://www.instagram.com/p/BS0s0KhFrJz/) based on this fic! I am seriously so touched.
> 
> I just want to also say how overwhelmed and thrilled I am by all your comments and kudos on this fic and [Pancakes in the Morning](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10585290). You are all the best. Thank you all for reading and commenting! I cannot wait to get these next chapters out to you! :)


	27. The Past that Binds Us

They made their way out of the common room, Makkachin bouncing happily beside them as they made their way down the hall. Viktor had wrapped a scarf around his neck before they had gone out, and he seemed to be trying to hide within in it as they walked. Yuuri took his hand, understanding that he was probably worried about meeting others. He was presentable at the moment, but far from his usual self, both on the outside and within.

Viktor’s worry seemed to be unwarranted, however, as they made their way through the castle and out the front door without meeting a single soul. Soon Makka was happily sniffing the bushes and running around as they made their way towards the lake, and slowly began the journey around its shores.

“My mother was an exceptionally kind witch.” Viktor spoke in nearly a whisper, but Yuuri’s ears picked up the sound clear as day; to him Viktor’s voice was the most important sound in the world.

“My father is your typical pureblood. Very concerned about status, and purity, whereas my mother cared much more about a person’s merit. Her family is one of the purest bloodlines in the wizarding world, but my mother had a bad habit of sneaking out when she was young, and playing with the Muggle children next door.

“She’d often times bring home injured animals and insist her parents heal them, and when the neighbors didn’t have enough to eat, she’d march right up to her parents and insist on inviting them over for a meal.” He smiled warmly at the thought.

“I don’t know why she married my father, but she seemed happy at first. When they had me it was all smiles. My favorite photo is of me and her together; she’s practically glowing she’s so happy.

“The older I got, the less my father was around. At first he was there, just always in his lab, then he created that serum and he began traveling, accepting invitations to research with wizards all over the world. He’d be gone for weeks at a time and she was desperately lonely without him, but she channeled that lonesomeness into making sure I never felt a day of pain in my life. She took me ice skating for the first time as soon as I had learned to walk, and signed me up for dance and skating lessons soon after. When I fell in love with skating she made a rink for me in our backyard, in perfect view so she could see it from the window of her bedroom or the living room.

“She taught me from home, how to read and write, do simple magic, even how to ride a broom. But she also showed me the world, taking me to the ballet and the theater, as well as making sure I was in the company of Muggles through my lessons.

“I don’t know much about what my father did at those times, but I do remember he was displeased that I was around Muggles so much. My mother justified it by arguing that Muggle instructors were better than any Magical ones, especially for figure skating. Eventually my father seemed to relent and Mother and I were left to our own whims. A part of me thinks he might have been jealous of how close we were.

“She was my sun. I was never lonely as long as she was there, and knew I was loved.” He paused, and Yuuri could feel the sadness swirl around Viktor for a moment before he continued. “But she was also deeply unhappy, falling into deep depressions, unable to leave her room for days at a time.

“When she’d get like that I would snuggle up with her and let her hold me. I’d dance for her or skate. I’d make her sandwiches and convince her to eat. As long as I was there, it seemed to make her happy, and before I knew it, she’d be her old self.”

He gulped, snuggling deeper into his scarf, and Yuuri tightened his grip on Viktor’s hand. “At first the depressions were few and far between, but they started getting worse the older I got. Dad was almost never around, and when he was they seemed to fight all the time. Mother had always gone to the rink with me for practice, but slowly she stopped going, until she almost never left the house.

“I was accepted to Koldovstoretz when I was 11. I was so excited to begin studying Magic. I would be living away from home for the first time and I was as excited as I was nervous at the new prospect. I had never lived anywhere but home, and only knew my skating friends, but I was really excited to meet new people. We were supposed to go buy my wand and school supplies the next week.

“I think the thought of me being gone was too much for her. I was leaving for skating practice, and I could tell she was going to have one of her bad days. I told her I’d stay home and we’d skate here, but she insisted I go. ‘You can skate for me later,’ she told me.

“When I got home I couldn’t find her. I searched and searched, until finally I found her in my father’s room…” Tears had begun to fall down his cheeks. “The worst part is I had no idea what to do. I didn’t know who to contact, and I had no idea where my father was. The only person I knew was Yakov, so I called him. He called the Police and came and took me to his home. He didn’t know how to contact my father either.

“It was three days before my father came to get me, and he was furious. Apparently the Muggles had found some curious things in our home and it had taken a lot of work to get them to forget. But according to him that was nothing compared to ‘The amount of work it’ll take to get the smell of Muggles out of the carpets.’”

Viktor grinned, a bit wickedly, “I remember screaming at him that it was his own fault since he was never there, that she was alone because of him. He slapped me hard for that outburst. I remember hitting the floor and then my father was looming over me.”

Yuuri’s blood seemed to have run cold as Viktor paused, taking a few deep breaths, “My hair used to be blonde, just a bit lighter than Yurio’s, and it was really long like it is now. I looked a lot like my mother and I think it was too much for him in that moment, so he cut it off with his wand. It was this really uneven buzz cut.

“He assigned a House Elf to me the next day, and had the elf take me to get my wand and supplies, only to report home that night and tell my father that I couldn’t buy a wand. The elf was punished and I was dragged back to the shop the next day only to find, yet again, that no wands would choose me. My magic was completely blocked off, and I remember feeling cold all the time, like my heart had literally frozen.

“I stopped speaking then, refusing to even look at my father. He threatened to cut-off my skating lessons, but Yakov convinced him, somehow, that skating could help me recover from my sadness. I think my father was desperate for anything that might make me Wizard again.

“So for a few months that’s all I did. I skated full time, not speaking, not doing magic, just skating. I could express myself there, and slowly, I was getting better. I started speaking a little bit to Yakov and my rink mates. Just the occasional greeting but it was something.

“Then one day Yakov’s ex-wife showed up all excited to introduce us to this ballerina who was in town to work with the St. Petersburg ballet. I don’t know how I knew, but I knew she was a witch. I remember cornering her alone and just saying ‘You’re a witch, aren’t you?’ I think it was the first sentence I’d spoken in 3 months.

“She just leaned back a bit, crossed her arms and then smirked, ‘Yep, I am kid.’”

Yuuri’s mind was tingling, realization stirring. It couldn’t be…

“I begged her to be my dance instructor. I don’t know why but I like her, and I wanted to do magic again. I thought she could help me. She told me she had a student back home who I reminded her of, so that night she went to my home and waited for hours until my father returned. I had fallen asleep on the floor next to her waiting for him, but she didn’t look even remotely tired after waiting so long. She just stood up and told him she’d be tutoring me, and what her rates were.

“My father tried to fight her, but she just stared him down.” Viktor grinned, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen my father so unnerved. He relented and she began tutoring me in the mornings before my skating practices. She’d also come to dinner with me nearly every night so I wouldn’t have to eat alone.

“She told me that if I used my magic, I could express even more through my skating and dance, but the only way I’d be allowed to use it was if I finished school. I started working really hard, trying to get my magic to work again, but nothing was really working.

“My birthday is on Christmas, and she knew my father wouldn’t do anything for me, so she decided to take me home with her.” He frowned, “To be honest, I don’t even know where we went. I remember there was a beach and we walked around on it. We passed a skating rink and I wanted to go, but she told me her old student would be waiting at her studio.

Yuuri swallowed. His memories were so hazy.

“Her studio was really warm and inviting, even though she hadn’t been there in months. It felt like I had come home. I remember I started dancing, and it felt so good. Something about that place. I didn’t even realize when her student came in, but suddenly, there he was, right in front of…” Viktor trailed off, mouth dropping open a bit. “His eyes, Yuuri, they were just like yours.”

Yuuri looked down, “What was your teacher’s name?”

Viktor thought for a moment, “Ms. Okukawa, I think. She always told me to call her something else, but that’s what Yakov called her.”

Yuuri laughed, and sank down into a squat. Viktor stared at him and Yuuri just giggled out, “It was you…”

Viktor blinked, “It was…you? No, that’s impossible, I would have…”

“Minako Okukawa was my ballet instructor from the time I was 3 years old. The only time we were ever apart was when right before my 11th birthday when she went to go work for her old ballet company. She visited once during that time and brought a pupil she was teaching with her.” Yuuri struggled to recall, “Your hair was different…it was wrong.”

Viktor looked a bit stunned, but then nodded vigorously. “That day was the first time I laughed in months. Something about him, er…you, just made me really happy. I felt warm again. After my father cut it my hair wouldn’t grow; and it wasn’t golden anymore, it was more ashy, almost dead looking.

“It was like I’d found my sun again. I was skating and dancing, smiling, laughing. I remember telling everyone about my friend. Yuri used to get mad but I could never remember why.” Viktor snickered, “he must not have liked sharing a name with someone.

“Before I knew it my hair was growing out again, fast. It was to my shoulders in a month and down my back before September. Only it wasn’t golden any more, or ashy, but silver instead. Minako said it was an expression of my magic. I didn’t mind, I thought it was pretty.

“Once my hair started growing, it was like my magic had been uncorked. Minkao had to work me hard to keep me from exploding magic all over the place. She taught me how to release it when I danced and skated, so whenever we were alone I could use it as much as I wanted to show everything I was feeling.

“The trick then, she told me, was to focus on skating so that I could show just as much emotion without my magic. That if I did that I’d be amazing. That was the start of everything for me. Yakov drilled me on skills, and I focused on making programs for myself that would allow me to express my feelings, and I started winning.

“By the time summer was over my magic was back to normal and in control. I thought I’d be going to Koldovstoretz, but apparently my father thought it was embarrassing that I was a year behind. He sent me to Durmstrang instead where it’s more common. Minkao threw a fit, but he didn’t back down. I remember him saying that I needed to be around more of my own kind. He told me my cousin would be there so I thought it might be alright. I would have rather been with Mila, but I also didn’t know what Durmstrang was like.

“Minkao was the one who took me to get my wand, and it was like it had been waiting for me to come get it for a full year. It seemed so happy when I finally took it in my hand. It was an amazing feeling. She also talked to the Headmasters at Durmstrang and made sure accommodations were made so I could still skate and compete. They worked out Floo Network access to my apartment practice and competitions.

“When the day came for me to go to Durmstrang, my father wasn’t there to see me off, but Minako was. She told me that if anyone tried to stop me from skating to contact her and she’d fix it. She told me to stay close to my rink mates, and then she told me if I ever had the chance to transfer to Hogwarts, I should do it. That her student was starting school too, and that she would do everything in her power to get us both into Hogwarts.”

Viktor sniffed a bit, “She told me if I came here I could find what I was missing,” he paused and looked at Yuuri, “she was right.”

Yuuri’s heart hammered. How had Minako never told him? The boy he’d loved for so long, they already knew each other. And now they were together; she must have known Viktor would be here.

Viktor was frowning, “In London, were you alone?”

“No, Minkao was with me.”

“But why didn’t she come say hello to me? Then we would have known; she could have introduced us again! I figured out you were the boy from the videos that night, and I got lucky seeing you in Diagon Alley the next day, but I was still afraid you might not be here. I spent all summer worrying for nothing!”

Yuuri laughed, “I feel like Minako just played us.”

“But why?”

“Maybe she wanted us to find each other ourselves. She mentioned to me last week that you can’t fix people, you just have to be there for them while they fix themselves; maybe she wanted us to figure it out ourselves.”

Viktor was pouting now, “She should have told me my angel would be here.” He paused, then realizing he’d spoken aloud, slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes blown wide.

“Your…angel?”

Viktor shook his head, refusing to speak. Yuuri slowly pried his fingers off his mouth, forcing Viktor to look at him. “You called me your angel, Viktor. What does that mean?”

Viktor was blushing; it was the most adorable thing Yuuri had ever seen. “Please tell me, Vitya.”

If possible, Viktor blushed harder. “You were my angel,” he whispered. “When everything was dark and cold, you found me and made everything bright again.”

“Viktor, were you in love with me?”

Viktor’s eyes grew wide and he stammered, “I…uh…I was 12!”

“So? I fell in love with you when I was 12!”

“So long after?!”

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “It was when you skated at the Junior World Cup. Your Free skate was beautiful. I couldn’t stop looking at you after that.

Viktor shuffled his feet a bit, “I created that program for you. It was supposed to be a love song to my lost angel, asking him to come back to me.”

“It worked,” Yuuri looked at Viktor and blushed.

Viktor grinned, “Yay,” he said quietly. They were quiet a moment before a sudden gurgling noise broke the awkward silence and they both stared at Viktor’s stomach, laughing.

“I guess we’d better go back, sounds like your body is ready for food again.”

“Yay! Katsudon!” Viktor called in a singsong voice, grasping Yuuri’s hand and pulling him towards the castle. “Makka, let’s go get Katsudon!” The dog barked in approval and bounced around them as they made their way back to the castle.

“Minako is the one who got me Makkachin, you know.”

Yuuri didn’t know. “What? Really?”

“Well, technically my father got him, but Minako spun some story about show dogs being a big status symbol to convince him. Durmstrang allows pets of any kind and instead of big communal rooms, you just have one roommate. Otabek was mine after our second year, by the way. Most kids bring magical pets, the rarer the better. It’s a status thing. But Minako wanted me to smile. He was the cutest puppy. She told me he’d take care of me and always work hard to make me smile.” Viktor grinned and rubbed Makka’s sides affectionately. “I’ll always be grateful for what she gave me.”

They entered the school, the halls still silent. Yuuri checked his watch, the last classes of the day would end soon, but they should have enough time to get to the dorms unseen. Then they could eat dinner and go skating while everyone was at dinner. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to remain alone with Viktor for a while longer.

“Yuuri, you’re birthday’s coming up, right?”

“Yeah, it’s the Wednesday after Skate America. The others were planning on us all going to Hogsmeade to celebrate on Saturday before.”

Viktor nodded. “Well, I’ll be away with Mila for the weekend, but we’ll celebrate on the proper day together, maybe you could sleep in my room on Tuesday night? I um, I want to be the first one to wish you happy birthday on the actual day.”

He usually stayed at Viktor’s room on Tuesday night, but somehow being asked about this one particular day was special in ways he couldn’t fully articulate. He was blushing so hard that he nearly walked into a statue, “Ok.”

Viktor’s face broke into a smile and he turned and shouted “Bulbasaur!” Yuuri hadn’t even realized they were already at the door to the Slytherin dormitories. Viktor was laughing, “I love that password, I can’t believe it was Beka to suggest it. I wish I could tell Yurio, he’d think it was hilarious.”

They made their way into the room where two large covered bowls were waiting. Viktor whooped and jumped on his bed, eager to dig in. Yuuri laughed and brought the tray with the bowls over to the bed, and soon they were both digging in.

“Amazing!” Viktor cried between shoveling bites of the dish into his mouth.

They both happily ate, Viktor struggling with eating too quickly and making himself sick, and also dying to shovel more into his mouth. There was still sadness in his eyes, but the worse seemed to be over.

With their food finished Viktor asked again if they could go skating. “Of course,” Yuuri whispered. He’d learned so much today, but he felt there was more left unsaid. He needed to ask Viktor about the scissors and felt his eyes shift to them subconsciously.

“Oh,” Viktor made a noise, seeing the direction of Yuuri’s gaze.

“Viktor…”

Viktor held up a hand, silencing Yuuri, before slowly kneeling down and picking up the scissors, sitting back down on the bed. "It'll be easier if I show you, I think," he said softly, taking up a lock of his hair and cutting it off bluntly before Yuuri even had time to mount a protest.

"Viktor your hair..." but To Yuuri's disbelief the hair grew back almost instantly, just as long and healthy as it had ever been.

"When my dad cut my hair off the first time it broke something in me. I lost control of my magic, no longer able to use it, no longer able to grow my hair. When I got my magic back, my hair grew back, but I think a part of me is still out of my control. I can't cut my hair, because it just grows back. It's like a security blanket. Sometimes I think about cutting it, think that I really want to try something new, but it grows back.

"I told Dr. Petrov about it, well, I told her I was afraid to cut it because of what happened, and she thinks I need to feel completely secure inside before I'll be able to cut it."

He sighed, "Sometimes when I'm feeling really good I cut it just to see if I'm finally better, and sometimes when I feel really bad I cut it to prove I still have my power.

"That's what happened last year; I suppose Mila told you I've disappeared before?"

Yuuri nodded.

"I should have told her what happened, but I didn't want to. It's humiliating. Yakov and Dr Petrov know, And Chris and Yuri know just because they were there, well, sort of."

"What happened?" Yuuri felt something ugly swirling within him, a deep feeling that he didn't want to know this answer. And yet, he had to know, he had to know the rest of the story.

"Do you remember what happened when I was getting on the ice for my Free Skate this weekend?"

"I couldn't understand but Sara said that skater called you a slut or something."

Viktor nodded, "That's tame for him. You see, before I met you, I was really lonely. Everyone at school ignored me, my dad and I almost never spoke, my only focus was skating. Even there it was hard, I'm Viktor Nikiforov, most people find me either hard to approach, or some cheeky kid that needs taking down a few notches. One of the only times people would talk to me was during after parties, when they were drunk.

"I wanted that attention, I craved it. I loved the way people would look at me, talk to me, like I was something special, more special than I thought I was, special for something other than skating.

"And then it went too far. That guy, Killian, he was a nice guy. He flirted with me for almost a year. I'd even say we were friends. We texted back and forth, saw each other at competitions, had dinners. It was nice; I almost thought we could maybe date.

"But then at Europeans he got me some drinks. I wasn't drunk, not really, but I wasn't sober either. We were making out, and then we were at his room."

He seemed to fold in on himself. Yuuri hated what he was hearing, but forced himself to listen, merely grabbing onto Viktor's hand in assurance. This seemed to make Viktor smile, just a bit.

"I don't really blame him. It shouldn't have happened, but I wasn't innocent in it. About halfway through I realized how horrible it felt. Not physically, but in my heart. I'm not some 'wait till you're married' or even 'only when you’re in love' type of person, but I realized I wasn't doing it just for fun, or just because it felt good, I was doing it because I was trying to fill something up.

"Once I figured that out I realized how broken and empty I felt, and nothing I was doing was filling it. Not magic, not sex, not skating. I thought I was doomed to just be empty.

"I went home, ditched a meeting with some sponsors, and just hid in my apartment for a couple of days. I'd cut my hair before but that was the first time it was that bad. I think I cut enough off to cover my head three times over.

"It was only a matter of time till someone found me, and I guess I was lucky because it was Yurio. He called Yakov for help as soon as he found me. Seeing him woke me up enough to know I needed to hide the evidence, and I asked him to help me. He threw away all my cut hair so it wouldn't raise suspicion."

"And he didn't figure anything out from that?" Yuuri interjected.

Viktor chuckled, "Oh he knows there is something very not right with me, he just can't work out what it is.”

“After that there was a lot of therapy. Yakov wasn’t sure I’d be ready for Worlds, working on my Exhibition helped a lot, but what helped the most was your video. I’d already seen it dozens of times, but I’d fall asleep watching it night after night. Something about it just comforted me.”

He paused, “I can’t believe it’s you. I thought you were this dream my mind just came up with for years. Ah, this is so embarrassing; I’ve been calling you my angel for years.”

Yuuri blushed, “I feel kind of bad, other than the dreams I have no memory of that day at all. I wonder why…”

Viktor shrugged, “I can’t really remember it either. I just always thought it was a particularly nice version of my dreams.”

Yuuri hated to go back to unhappy topics, but he felt like there was more, “So what happened after Europeans?”

Viktor sighed, “It was a weird time. I had heard about the Apparition testing date before Europeans, so I think part of my behavior was a reaction to that, but Beks and I had a plan to get me to the test, so I was pretty hopeful. It didn’t happen though; I was really all over the place that day. Yakov knew someone had taken advantage of me but didn’t know who.

“Killian started prowling around me during the Free Skate so I hinted to Yakov who it was, and he went into to full protective mode around me. I might have gotten depressed again, but then I met you and realized you were a wizard and that gave me a lot of hope. Killian cornered me at one point, I told him to leave me alone. I figured it was over. I skated for you, both my Free Skate and my Exhibition.”

Yuuri felt himself blush in amazement, but kept silent as Viktor continued.

“A few weeks later I got home after the press tour and that’s when my father hit me for the third time. Killian had somehow figured out my address and sent blackmail photos to me, which is impressive now that I think about it. Most of them weren’t that big of a deal, but a few were distinctly private.

“Dad was furious of course. He tracked Killian down, made him destroy the photos and then erased his memory so he doesn’t have any memory of taking them. Of course dad left him with the memories of what we did. He probably wanted me to get reminders once in a while so I didn’t forget my mistake.”

“And that’s what he was talking about at the Trophee?” Yuuri practically whispered.

“Yeah. Half the time he was trying to get me back to his room, the other half he was telling me I was a slut. He kept cornering me. Then on Saturday night he was drunk and was out in the halls screaming about me being a cock tease and a whore. He found my room somehow and started banging on the door. It took security forever to get there. Fortunately it was all skaters in that hall, so the story didn’t spread. It’s a secret what happened, but most everyone saw him stalking me all weekend, so the others all helped me. I might be the world Champion, but I’m still a kid, so a lot of the others try to look out for me. A couple of the Ladies Skaters even sat up with me after it was over to help me calm down.

“I thought I was going to be ok, honestly, but then I got back and it all hit me. I know everyone here would understand if I told them I’d had a bad weekend, but a part of me is afraid to be vulnerable like that. I couldn’t sit at dinner with everyone looking at me, wanting me to be happy. I just couldn’t do it. So I went to bed, and then when I woke up I just didn’t want to get up.”

He sighed looking up shyly, “That’s it. That’s the whole story, well minus a few embarrassing puberty moments.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile, pulling Viktor in for a hug, “Thanks for telling me. And before you ask, I don’t hate you, nor do I blame you for what happened. Sure, maybe you made a mistake, but it wasn’t your fault, and you certainly didn’t deserve to be harassed after that.”

Viktor snuggled closer, “Thank you, Yuuri. I hope you don’t think I’m too needy. I feel like I rely on you a lot.”

Yuuri laughed darkly, “I’ll get you back at Worlds. I’ll make sure to have a full blown panic attack and you can talk me out of it.”

Viktor grinned, “Fine with me, because you’ll be at Worlds.” He giggled before continuing in a softer tone, “You know, you could talk to Dr. Petrov if you wanted, she’s help me a lot. I’ll need to call her tonight, actually. She won’t love that I can’t come in after an episode, but it’s the best I can do.”

Yuuri nodded, “Do you want to do that before we go skating? I could leave…”

“Stay.” Viktor grabbed his hand and held it tight, “You know it all anyways. She’ll be happy I told you. I just don’t want to be alone, and it’ll be nice to go skating with you afterwards.”

Yuuri nodded and sat quietly by his side while Viktor called the doctor. She turned out to be quite kind, though Yuuri suppose that wasn’t surprising. She talked to Viktor about everything that had happened, scolded him for not calling sooner, praised him for telling Yuuri everything, and then, surprisingly, asked Yuuri how he felt.

Yuuri ended up talking to her as much as Viktor had, and sometime during the call a weight left his chest and he found himself entwining his fingers with Viktor’s.

By the time they ended the call they were curled up together, softly sharing stories and just touching their fingers and hands together. It was sweet, relaxing, and innocent.

“Skating?” Viktor asked softly, nearly an hour later.

Yuuri nodded and after borrowing some training clothes from Viktor, they made their way to the rink. They could hear the sounds of dinner coming from the Great Hall as the passed and Viktor grimaced, “I suppose I’ll have to apologize to the Head Mistress tomorrow.”

Yuuri nodded, “Me too. I skipped a few classes.” He squeezed Viktor's hand, “It was worth it though.”

Viktor blushed and pulled them to Dungeon #6 faster, not relaxing till they were on the ice. “Ah, this rink is the best,” he cried the moment his blade hit the ice.

Yuuri laughed and skated alongside him, “You know that Muggle Cultural Club party is Friday, will you still come?”

Viktor blanched, “Oh no! I was supposed to dance with you and we haven’t practiced!”

Yuuri laughed, “Don’t worry, Leo and I worked it out. You and I won’t be a featured act, and I’ll lead. It’ll be fun, promise.”

“Are you still doing a dance?”

Yuuri grinned, “Yeah, one by myself and one with Sara. You won’t want to miss them.” They skated a slowly together before Yuuri remembered something, “By the way, Vitya, you’re still coming to Japan to visit me, right?”

Viktor perked up, “Of course! Now that I’ve tasted Katsudon how could I stay away?”

Yuuri laughed, “Good, cause I’m taking you to the movies. That movie Yuuko took me to was amazing and I want you to see it with me.”

Viktor blushed, “That almost sounds like a date, Yuuri.”

With a lot more courage than he felt, Yuuri grinned, “That was my intention.”

Viktor’s cheeks went bright red, much redder than Yuuri had ever seen. He seemed at a loss for words before slowly nodding, “I’d like that.”

Yuuri smiled, “Me too. Now, you have been lazing around all day, get to work! You have a Grand Prix to win. I need another Gold Medal to kiss!”

Viktor laughed, his eyes glittering, “If you insist.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know it's hard seeing Viktor so sad, but this is a good thing, he really needed to open up about it. This is just the next step towards really recovering. I've been longing to share this chapter for months, and of course now that it's finally time I'm nervous about it. :) Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
> 
> Next chapters will be the dance, Skate America, and Yuuri's Birthday. Before you know it we'll be at the Grand Prix Final and then Nationals! So excited for our little Katsudon.


	28. Coming of Age

The next morning included many, many apologies to their teachers and the Head Mistress.

They were in Professor McGonagall’s office before breakfast had even been served, Viktor taking full blame for both his and Yuuri’s absences, explaining the situation to the Head Mistress who’s eyebrows seemed to have merged with her hairline.

Finally, when Viktor had finished talking, taking a deep breath, ready to accept his punishment; the Professor sighed, “What I want to know Mr. Nikiforov is how are you feeling today?”

Viktor looked up blinking, “Um, I’m ok. Better. Yuuri made sure I called my therapist, and Winky made sure I ate. I had a good night sleep last night and exercised this morning, so I’m pretty much back to normal.”

Professor McGonagall nodded, “And you Mr. Katsuki? That must have been difficult seeing your friend in such a state?”

Yuuri thought about it, “It was, but I’ve struggled with panic attacks all my life, so I sort of knew what to do. I knew all I could do was be there for Viktor, but I couldn’t fix any of this for him.”

She nodded, “Alright then. Mr. Nikiforov, I know you spoke with her yesterday but I’d like for you to meet with your therapist in person this afternoon. I’d like a note from her just to be sure you’re receiving the care you need. Mr. Katsuki, I’ll be contacting Minako and your parents as well, if they feel you should speak to someone as well I will let you know.”

They both nodded, surprised that there was no punishment.

“Now is not the time, but later I would like to discuss this with you further, Mr. Nikiforov. It is clear our school wasn’t properly equipped to help you in this situation. We need to do better.”

“Oh no, Professor! Honestly, this wasn’t anyone’s fault!”

“But you didn’t feel comfortable speaking honestly with myself of Madam Pomfrey.”

Viktor bit his lip, “I guess not.”

“Further, neither of us noticed anything overly out of the ordinary, so it is clear to me we need to improve. I hope you will help us with that goal?” She smiled in a kind manner at Viktor who eagerly nodded.

“Thank you Professor. Honestly, this is the best place I’ve ever been. It’s wonderful here. The classes are great and the teachers and students are so kind. I only wish I’d come here sooner!” He was smiling with his cute heart shaped smile that always made Yuuri’s heart feel warm. The Professor seemed to feel the same way based on her smile.

“I must confess, I was not sure what to expect from bringing Transfer students into the school, but it has been a very rewarding experience for us all. Now go get some breakfast. You’ll need your energy for your classes and practice. “

“Yes ma’am!’ they both chorused moving towards the door.

“Oh, and one more thing,” she smiled as they turned back, “I expect perfect grades for the rest of the term. I’ve been very impressed so far, do not disappoint me.”

They nodded and bolted out of the door, Viktor grabbing Yuuri’s hand the moment they were out the door, laughing happily as they made their way to breakfast.

 

Viktor was able to get time with Dr. Petrov that afternoon, so Yuuri found his usual Tuesday afternoon depressingly Viktor-free. He wasn’t alone though. He had flopped onto his bed after class determined to study, only to find the space soon overflowing with girls as Mila, Riko, Clara, and Sara all crowded on top of his bed, while Jo and Imara plopped down in the window seat beside it. Judgment Cat, or he supposed he should call her Anastasia, was even sitting on the headboard.

He couldn’t move as much as an inch with the girls all crowded around him; honestly he couldn’t understand how they’d all squeezed into the space and only silently thought to himself, as he often had, that girls were weird. He also realized that if he wasn’t so crazy in love with Viktor this situation might be vaguely torturous, Mila’s boobs were pressed against his side and one of Sara’s legs was over his lap, but it didn’t faze him.

 “Am I just one of the girls now?” he asked Riko in Japanese.

She laughed, “Yeah, you might as well just use watashi from now on.”

Yuuri pouted, but soon found himself laughing as the girls teased him.

“Seriously though, Yuuri, you and Viktor are a couple now, right? I mean, you’re pretty much holding hands all the time now,” Sara asked.

“Uh, I mean, sort of?”

“Sort of?” All of the girls seemed to be staring at him.

“Well I asked him to go to the movies with me over Christmas break, and I made it clear it was a date.”

“But that’s ages away!” Mila whined.

Yuuri shrugged but Clara poked him, “That won’t do Yuuri. You like him don’t you?”

“Well yeah.”

“Then make it official already!” Riko prodded.

Yuuri looked at them all, “Why do I feel like you all have some sort of pool riding on this?”

The girls rolled their eyes. “We just want to see you happy, Yuuri, and Viktor too,” Sara refuted.

“My money’s on your birthday,” Jo muttered.

“Jo!” Yuuri cried.

“Please, it’ll be this weekend; no way Viktor will resist Yuuri’s dancing!” Mila quipped.

“Mila!”

“I’m voting they both chicken out till Christmas. Then I’ll send Viktor these pictures and it’ll happen,” Sara flashed one of the pole dancing photos and Yuuri scrambled to try and get the phone.

“That’s cheating,” Imara said, “It’ll be when Viktor gets back from Mila’s competition. No way they can handle the separation again.”

“I hate you all,” Yuuri moaned.

 

Thursday’s Defense the Dark Arts Club meeting had them trying out Patronus Charms for the first time.

“This is a pretty advanced spell,” Ari explained. “6th years will have this come up in their lessons in the next few weeks but we’ll give it a try today.” He went on to explain the spell and the mindset required. Yuuri understood it and had been practicing it with Riko since the beginning of term, but still hadn’t managed anything more than a misty shield.

Viktor on the other hand had never tried such a spell and seemed eager to learn, though soon he was frustratingly blowing strands of hair out of his face as he tried again and again to make the spell work.

“It’s all about your mindset,” Riko told him softly, “don’t let yourself be frustrated, instead, think about your happiest moment.”

“I’m trying, I was thinking about when I won the World Championship, but it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“Maybe it’s not working since that memory isn’t purely happy,” Yuuri suggested.

Viktor tapped his finger to his lips, before taking a deep breath and trying again.

“Expecto Patronus,” he whispered.

It wasn’t much, but a fine mist seeped from his wand, forming a barrier in front of him, cause Viktor to whoop happily.

“Good Viktor!” Ari cheered, “Now just take that feeling a bit further.”

Viktor grinned and looked ready to try again, happiness alight in his eyes. Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as he watched.

“What?” Viktor tipped his head to the side looking at Yuuri.

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile and step closer, whispering in Viktor’s ear, “It’s nothing; I was just thinking you’re beautiful.”

Viktor’s face burst into a furious blush.

“Try it again Viktor,” Riko called from the other side of the room, not noticing the pink that was tingeing Viktor’s ears.

Yuuri smirked and nodded at Viktor as he steadied his breathing. He was looking right at Yuuri as he spoke the incantation.

For a moment Yuuri thought he might fail again, but then a graceful swirl of mist flowed out of Viktor’s wand until it formed what was unmistakably a rather adorable looking seal.

“It’s a Baikal seal pup!” Viktor coo’d as the tiny seal seemed to almost dance as it swirled around Viktor’s head, its big eyes shining in joy as it curled around its caster’s body.

Viktor looked so happy, and Yuuri’s heart settled and he focused on the scene in front of him, softly whispering the incantation.

He didn’t think much would happen since his focus was somewhere else, but suddenly something came out of his wand.

The small creature slid out of Yuuri’s wand as if on ice, flowing smoothly towards Viktor and quickly joining the dance with Viktor’s Patronus.

“A Gentoo penguin,” he whispered, delighted as the bird swirled beautifully in the air. “I saw them at the zoo once when I was a kid.” He stepped forward and stood beside Viktor as their Patronuses danced around them.

“They’re both animals that love the ice,” Viktor whispered and Yuuri grasped his hand.

 “Baikal seals are only found in Russia,” Viktor continued, “They’re the smallest of the seals and they live in this one freshwater lake in Siberia. My Grandfather took me to see them in the wild years ago. I’ve always loved how they are so cute and goofy on land, but like ballerinas underwater.”

“I’m glad yours is a pup though, otherwise it might try to eat my Patronus,” Yuuri smirked.

Viktor snickered and his Patronus finally flickered and disappeared, “Well, I guess that’s not inaccurate.”

Yuuri’s gaped for a second as the meaning hit his brain and caused it to overload for a second as his Patronus popped out of existence, before snorting into his hand and poking Viktor’s ribs as the Russian giggled uncontrollably.

 

When the dance finally arrived, Yuuri felt a mixture of excitement and nerves pour over his body.

“You’ll be fine Yuuri!” Yuuko called from his phone where their FaceTime call was connected.

“Yeah, in those pants, you’ll be just fine,” Phichit winked.

“Uh yeah, what they said,” Takeshi added lamely, earning him glares from the other two. “Sorry, I’m just not very good at clothes and stuff.”

Yuuri laughed, “Wow Takeshi, I had no idea you cared so much.”

The other boy blushed, “Yeah well, you know…go get him?” He pumped his fist awkwardly like he was cheering Yuuri on.

The others all giggled and Yukko pulled Takeshi off camera, presumably for a kiss, waving distractedly at Yuuri.

“You look great Yuuri,” Phichit grinned, “have fun.”

Yuuri waved goodbye and hung up his phone checking himself in the mirror one more time. Phichit had done well. The black pants he wore were fitted, hugging his thighs and ass snuggly, while his blue shirt was just a bit loose, without covering the tapering of his waist. Riko had even loaned him some suspenders which he had thought would be stupid, but Phichit assured him lent just a little bit of class to the casual outfit. He finished the look off with some canvas shoes which were good for dancing. He knew some of this was overkill since he’d have costumes to change into, but he did want to make a good first impression.

He slipped out of the dorms (hearing a few wolf whistles behind him as he went), and made his way to the Slytherin Dorms. While Yuuri hadn’t told Viktor he’d be picking him up, he somehow knew Viktor wouldn’t have left yet. He could already imagine his blush when Yuuri arrived. He only wished he had a flower or something.

He gave the password and entered the dormitory hearing a few whistles again. He supposed most of them hadn’t seen him with his hair slicked back. He’d thought about leaving his glasses behind, but he wanted to actually see Viktor tonight. Phichit had assured him the combo was a good look.

He made his way to Viktor’s door and knocked, hearing Makkachin scramble excitedly on the other side. Viktor opened the door and instantly blushed, “Yuuri.”

Yuuri smiled, Viktor looked really cute. He was always better at dressing than Yuuri, and somehow he’d taken some of the most basic pieces of clothing and made himself look perfect. He had a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, with the first two buttons of the collar undone, and a black tie, loosely tied around his neck, with a black vest to match. He wore black dress pants that would have looked plain on anyone else, and again, simple black dress shoes.

Yet he looked amazing - classy and sexy. Yuuri really wanted to kiss him.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go to the dance with me?” he asked softly.

Viktor’s mouth dropped open ever so slightly before his heart shaped smile spread over his face and he nodded happily. Yuuri took his hand and intertwined their fingers, leading them back out into the castle.

“Your hair looks nice that way,” Viktor whispered and Yuuri felt himself blush.

“Thanks, yours does too. I’ve never seen you braid it.”

“Ah yeah, some of the girls stopped by earlier and insisted.”

Yuuri chuckled, “I feel like a lot of people are meddling with us tonight. Phichit and Yuuko called and insisted on dressing me.”

Viktor snorted, “You have it easy,” he held up his hand and Yuuri noticed his nails were painted. “I know they mean well, but I don’t know if I like feeling like a dress-up doll.”

Yuuri giggled, “It’s a good look. I’m pretty sure you’re the only person I know who could pull it off.”

Viktor blushed but smiled happily as they entered the Muggle Studies hall; there were dozens of people already milling around, but Yuuri led Viktor right to the room where the party was being held. “Since I’m dancing we don’t have to wait,” he told Viktor, smiling back at him. Viktor looked slightly overwhelmed, but seemed to be coming back to himself quickly; unlike Yuuri he thrived in situations like this, the excitement around them seeping into him.

“Yuuri! Viktor!” Leo called as they entered the room. He was dressed in black pants and a black shirt, exactly as you would expect from a Latin dancer, while Sara was in a simple leotard and skirt. A few other club members surrounded them, a few wearing traditional outfits. Leo explained a few of the Irish members were going to do some clogging, and a few others who had ballroom experience were going to show those styles. “Can you dance in those clothes, Yuuri?” he asked. “We had a costume for your solo dance, but honestly those clothes are perfect.”

Yuuri thought about it and quickly pulled his body into a few stretches, it felt fine. “Yeah, this should work. I still have my outfit for the dance with Sara though, right?”

“Definitely,” Sara grinned, coming over, “we have to match after all.”

“You guys can grab seats in the front, “Leo pointed to the chairs, “That way Yuuri can just get up for his dance. We’ll have to borrow him from you for about 15 minutes Viktor.”

Viktor nodded, “Sorry I sort of forgot about promising to dance.”

They both waved him off, “You can still surprise everyone by dancing with Yuuri once the main presentation is over. That’ll be more fun for you anyways,” Leo smiled.

They took their seats and within a few minutes the club had opened the doors and the room began to fill. There were a lot of people, and Yuuri felt a trickle of sweat slip down his back as nerves crept up on him.

“Yuuri,” Viktor whispered. He turned to see Viktor staring directly into his eyes, “just dance for me, ok? I have to admit I’m really excited to see it.”

Yuuri blushed a bit but nodded. He felt a squeeze around his fingers and realized Viktor had never let go of his hand.

The room finally filled and the club began the presentation. There was a quick explanation of Muggle dancing customs, and then different club members started getting up and showing short versions of several different dances. Yuuri could tell they were keeping this section short since none of these members were professional level dancers, thought the team of cloggers were pretty good.

Eventually Leo began his Latin dance, managing to make the style, which was normally done in pairs, look perfect as a solo act.

Sara took the stage as a strong thumping pulse, like a heartbeat, filled the room. Slowly, with perfecting movements Sara began to move her body, each limb flowing into each move, accenting each beat of the song. Yuuri had been dancing with her for months, but he was suddenly aware just how talented of a dancer she was as she spun and flung her body using nothing but her strength to propel her. Her simple costume accented her firm body, weaving her movements together with the music, drawing everyone in.

She was so fluid, and yet powerful. The entire room couldn’t look away, and when it ended, the room exploded in cheers. Mila in particular was screaming, whistling for her friend who was now breathing hard and bowing in appreciation.

It was then that Yuuri realized it was his turn to dance. “I have to follow that?” he croaked out, hearing Viktor chuckle beside him.

He stood as Leo introduced him, slowly making his way to the center of the room. He took a deep breath, remembering the things he was suppose to be feeling. This was a time for him to have fun, but also stake his claim. Viktor looked amazing tonight, and he was sure several people were looking at him. But Viktor was his, he trusted Yuuri in ways he trusted no one else. It was time to prove why he had earned that. It was time to tell Viktor that he didn’t just want to be friends anymore.

The beat began and Yuuri let his body speak for him. Feet kicking out in slick movements, propelling him into spins as his arms shot out, his body telling the story of the jealous lover. The song had humor in it, so it was important for Yuuri not to take it too seriously, letting his body flow in time with the music; but there was still an edge of seriousness, and some real effort that went into keeping his body movements fluid as he moved.

He approached Viktor, letting their eyes lock as he silently mouthed the lyrics during the chorus, his legs and hips moving almost on their own as his body told the story playing with the edge between charming and possessive in what he hoped was a charming way.

He seemed to be pulling it off because Viktor was dancing a little bit in his seat, and whenever Yuuri exaggerated a movement in order to bring out the silliness of the song, Viktor would giggle and smile, mimicking Yuuri’s movements from his seat.

Viktor wasn’t the only one, most of the audience was singing along and giggling as the song went further, several people were even copying his arm movements. Yuuri grinned and couldn’t help but add a slightly unplanned power move, just to prove that he was a cut above, balancing on one hand as he held his body upside down in air. It might be a little silly and self indulgent, but he still wanted to make his intent clear; Viktor was his, and no one else was good enough for him.

The song ended and Yuuri puffed out a huge breath, smiling as the room filled with cheers. He waved, catching his breath and bowed, before moving back behind the makeshift curtain. He could see Viktor cheering and he really wanted to go back to him, but there would be time for that later. For now he had to focus on changing for his next dance. Leo was performing a break dance routine that would only last a couple of minutes and then he and Sara would do their final dance.

“This way Yuuri!” Sara whispered, pulling him into a changing stall. She was already changed and looked incredible. Her pants were baggy and slung low on her hips, revealing a strip of skin at her midriff, exaggerated by her crop top, but cutoff by the jacket she had over it. She also had a baseball cap angled on the top of her head over her long hair; the entire outfit had her looking almost unrecognizable. “Hurry!” she chided, laughing a little at Yuuri’s obviously stunned expression. He had a bad feeling about his outfit if she looked like that.

Sure enough a pair of baggy jeans, a t-shirt, jacket and baseball cap were all waiting for him, as well as a thick belt that he hoped would keep the pants firmly on his hips, based on how low he was obviously expected to wear them. He quickly changed and was immediately dragged towards the stage area the moment he emerged. She quickly adjusted his clothes, tilting his hat and yanking his pants even lower (until help yelped at her to stop), as Leo finished his dance. “Ready?” she whispered excitedly.

Yuuri shook his head but still smiled, “Not even a little bit.”

Sara giggled, “Viktor’s going to love it,” and she winked. Yuuri really didn’t need any more convincing.

The room went dark and they took their places. There was no subtle start to this song, when it began, it would drop hard, and there was no stopping till it ended. If Yuuri thought his last number had a lot of hip movements, it was nothing to this dance.

He took a breath and settled himself, nodding towards Sara and Leo. The lights flashed and the first beat hit and he and Sara both swung their hips, dropping and shifting to the rhythm. Originally the song had given them clear gender roles, but they’d changed it so they both inhabited a more fluid state, both swinging and popping their bodies together, half of their moves in sync, the rest playing off each other.

Yuuri wasn’t the proud boyfriend now; he was the confident woman who would seduce the playboy. He was tough, and there was no one better than him.

After a synced up aerial leap Sara did a few somersaults, before setting so Yuuri could use her leg as a platform to launch himself into a back flip. The moment he landed they were both on their feet, backs to the audience as they shook their hips, sticking their backsides out in a tempting jiggle.

It was a little embarrassing, but Yuuri could just see Viktor’s mouth gaping open, so he committed to it, dropping down hard and letting his body unfurl up. He was glad Leo had edited the song because he was already tired from the push he was putting into every movement. Finally their last synced moves finished and he and Sara nodded to each other swinging their hips and heading towards the audience, both swinging their hips suggestively.

Sara was moving towards Mila who was blushing furiously as Sara lured her to dance along with her with a crook of her fingers. Yuuri moved to Viktor, swinging his hips slowly and holding out his hand inviting Viktor onto the dance floor. Viktor didn’t hesitate and Yuuri pulled Viktor against him and flashed him a cheeky grin as he swung his hips, causing Viktor to subconsciously lick his bottom lip.

Leo called the start of the party and soon everyone was up and chairs were being magicked away as more and more people came to dance. A few club members were demonstrating how to follow the style, but Yuuri wasn’t paying attention, all he could focus on was the way Viktor’s hands had found his waist and how their bodies were moving together, just a hair’s breathe apart.

“Did I surprise you?” he whispered.

Viktor chuckled cheekily and grabbed Yuuri’s baseball cap from his head, slipping it backwards onto his own head; “Oh yes, Yura,” Viktor grinned, “you definitely surprised me. Who knew you had such Eros.”

Yuuri blushed but continued to dance; keeping his hands firmly on Viktor’s waist, pulling him closer until the music started to change away from hip hop and into some pop track Yuuri wasn’t familiar with.

“Can you actually dance in these clothes? I mean something besides hip-hop, which you do very well by the way.”

Yuuri laughed shaking his head, “Thanks, but yeah, I should probably change. The shirt’s not bad, but these pants aren’t really my thing. I am lucky I have an ass or else these pants would have been lost long ago. Come with me while I change?”

Viktor nodded and followed him to the changing area, waiting outside (though he looked like he wanted to come in) while Yuuri changed. As soon as he was back in his own clothes he dragged Viktor back to the dance floor and into a dance. Their timing was perfect as a true Latin number began and soon they were both laughing as Yuuri swung them around the floor, Viktor getting into it and throwing his leg up in the air as Yuuri dipped him low, Yuuri moving his hand to catch his leg and support his weight as Viktor leaned into him. His hand cupping Viktor’s cheek gently and he couldn’t help the gleeful smile that spread over his face.

They didn’t part for the rest of the night.

 

“How are you two not a couple after all of that?!” Riko exclaimed as she lay on Yuuri’s bed in the morning. She had woke him up by jumping on his bed and asking if he and Viktor were official yet. “I mean, I thought I was going to get pregnant just watching you two!”

“I don’t know,” Yuuri yawned sleepily, “I mean, we kind of are, I think we are, but it’s not like we’ve defined it, or kissed for that matter.”

Riko groaned, “You two frustrate me so much. It so obvious how into each other you are, just define it already.” Yuuri laughed and nodded, hoping to do just that soon, but Viktor was already gone to practice when he finally crawled out of bed, and then somehow all week they never managed a minute alone to just talk. Before he knew it, Viktor and Sara were gone, off to support Mila at Skate America, and sending back pictures of thin crust pizza that made Yuuri’s stomach growl.

“You’re both idiots,” Jo deadpanned as Yuuri stared at the picture longingly, unsure what was more tempting, the pizza or the way Viktor’s lips were curled into a cheerful grin.

“It’s not my fault, I want to clarify it and make sure he’s my boyfriend…”

“But you’re a dork who is afraid to ask,” she continued for him.

He lightly punched her shoulder, “Am not.” Jo just laughed, punching him back.

 

Saturday morning finally rolled around and Mila was set to perform her Free Skate. She was currently in 3rd after the Short program, she needed second to be sure to qualify, but she could potentially sneak by with a 3rd place finish. Viktor had texted and said she was nervous, but between him and Sara she was doing alright.

He couldn’t talk much though because he was sharing a room with Yakov.

“I wanted to get my own room but the hotel was booked and Yakov refused to let me stay at a different one,” he pouted on the phone when they had talked the night before.

At least the timing of the skates were in Yuuri’s favor, Mila’s group would be competing earlier in the day then Viktor’s had when he was in Canada, making it easier for Yuuri to get some decent sleep. Unfortunately the Junior boys were at the same time, forcing Sara to run back and forth between the two rinks to support her brother and friend.

Emil was also there, performing as a senior, and Viktor made sure to introduce himself and wish him good luck from Yuuri. Emil was new to the circuit and he was already out of the running to qualify, but in his usual manner was staying upbeat and skating to have fun, as well as working hard to encourage Mickey. Both boys had congratulated Yuuri on qualifying for Nationals and hoped he’d be on the Grand Prix Circuit next year.

It was fun having so many friends at a competition, and a part of Yuuri couldn’t help but hope that soon he’d know people at each Grand Prix Qualifier, and maybe even compete against them soon. A little more than a year ago he might not have thought it possible, but now it seemed not just a possibility, but a near certainty. Viktor, Celestino, and even Yakov believed he’d be joining the International circuit soon, and their belief fueled a bit of confidence within Yuuri.

But no one would be performing until nearly dinner time, which meant there was plenty of time for Yuuri to enjoy the day. Viktor had been working so hard on homework all week that Yuuri had somehow managed to get ahead in all his subjects while working at his side, which meant he could spend the whole day enjoying himself.

To Yuuri that meant training, with a couple of hours break to go to Hogsmeade with his friends. He had assumed the outing would have him surrounded by friends, and he wasn’t wrong; but what he hadn’t expected was for Charlie to have secured them a private room at the pub, so that despite their numbers, the room didn’t feel crowded or overwhelming.

The table was filled with food and Butter beers, even a sticky, sweet cake that was apparently from a bakery in town Yuuri had never noticed. It was all delicious and Yuuri couldn’t help but feel relaxed as he joked with his friends over the delicious lunch.

Before long, the whole group was heading back to the castle, Clara informing him that they all wanted to skate together, since they knew it was what Yuuri would want to do, and most of them found it to be a lot of fun, even if they just sat on the side of the rink and watched. An hour later, when Yuuri looked around the ice and saw all his friends smiling and having fun, he couldn’t help but grin. It was so different then his birthday celebration last year, but both left him feeling very warm inside.

 

That evening there were viewing parties all over the castle just as there had been for Viktor’s skates, and he found out, to his horror, his own. He had been sure no one would watch his skates since they were a National level event that only one Television station covered, but Riko had somehow found a Live Stream and had held her own viewing party, translating the competition for his friends.

Yuuri opted to watch Mila’s competition alone in Viktor's room with Makkachin. He knew his friends would love him to join them in any of the common rooms to watch, but after the Hogsmeade trip and open skate after, he was feeling just a bit overwhelmed. Spending the rest of the evening wearing his favorite pair of Viktor's sweats (he tried not to dwell too much on the fact that he’d borrowed Viktor’s clothes enough to have favorites) and curling up with Makka seemed the perfect end to the day.

That and Viktor was calling him every chance he had, and Yuuri liked having privacy for their conversations.

He wasn’t a total recluse however, texting back and forth with his friends throughout the castle all night long, answering skating questions and thanking them for the wonderful day.

Finally it was time for Mila to skate and Viktor called again, not bothering with video since it seemed the live stream only had the tiniest of delays.

"She's nervous," Viktor whispered the moment Mila slid onto the ice.

Viktor definitely wasn't wrong about that; to be honest she looked a little pale. It worried Yuuri to see.

The routine began and only a minute in he heard Viktor curse softly, and a second later he saw why, as Mila crashed down after a jump combo Yuuri had seen her complete a dozen times before.

"Come on Mila, shake it off," Yuuri whispered.

Viktor was shouting in Russian and cheering; on the live stream Yuuri saw Mila skate past Viktor as he shouted. It was obvious she heard him by the way her posture changed.

The rest of the program wasn't great, but it wasn't a disaster either. The announcers seemed very impressed how well the young skater had shaken off what must have been a very painful fall. Given the way Mila seemed to be limping a bit as she walked to the Kiss and Cry, Yuuri had to agree.

Yakov was speaking to her quietly, and she was leaning against Viktor, who still hadn't disconnected his call from Yuuri.

"She did great," Yuuri whispered.

"Da," Viktor whispered.

The scores flashed and Mila was in second. There was an intake of breath from the group, it might be enough, but with two skaters left, they had to wait to celebrate.

“What are her chances?” Yuuri whispered.

“The next skater is strong; she’ll have to mess-up for Mila to beat her. Her chances are good against the last skater though. Her Free has a lower technical score and she has been having trouble with her footwork being sloppy all season. I saw her at the Trophee, and she had a lot of trouble with her jumps. If that holds true, Mila has a real shot. She only needs third to make it.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but clench his fingers into Makka’s fur a bit tighter as he watched. As Viktor said, the next skater was good, very good, easily taking first and pushing Mila to third. It was all on the last skater.

“She needs to land in first to make the final,” Viktor whispered, “that might motivate her. If she gets second she ties with another girl and will go on placement. If she gets third, neither she nor Mila goes.”

Yuuri could tell he was doing math in his head figure it out. There were 4 confirmed skaters before this competition, and 4 ladies all competing for the last two spots.

The last skater took the ice, nerves evident on her face; but Yuuri knew who she was. “Fuck,” he whispered.

“What?” Viktor hissed back.

“I know her, we met over the summer. She taught me how to calm my nerves with the breathing exercises I do sometimes. You said she was weak at her last competition?”

“Da. She missed a lot of jumps, but still managed third.”

“In the competition I met her at she was incredible. Massive jumps. Viktor, I think she gets panic attacks like I do.”

“You mean she was having trouble with nerves at the Trophee?”

“Yes, but look at her now, she’s calm.”

And he was right. A second before the music began he saw her take a deep breath and a face of resolve took her. Her skating was beautiful, every jump nailed, and while the footwork was still a bit sloppy, Yuuri wouldn’t call it poor by any measure.

“Shit,” Viktor muttered again about halfway through, “you’re right. I’d better go Yuuri, Mila’s going to need me.”

Yuuri felt himself nod, “Take care of her for me, give her hugs from all of us. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, you will. I’ve missed you, Yura.”

The skate ended, and the announcers were already declaring she’d secured a spot. In the background of one of them, Yuuri caught a glimpse of Sara and Viktor, surrounding Mila so no one could see; and as the scores were announced, it became official. The dark horse had won.

Yuuri felt a bit of pride for the girl, based on their conversation last summer he knew she suffered nerves much like him, and a part of him was impressed by how well she handled them, and motivated in the knowledge he could his well. Still, his heart hurt for Mila.

Mila eventually came on camera again, waving to her fans in the audience and thanking everyone for their support, promising to be back at the European Nationals. The announcers commented how despite missing the Grand Prix Final, Mila had made a stunning senior debut, and they expected to see her back at Worlds this year, likely with a top 10 finish.

The two announcers continued on, “And of course in the background we can see her teammate Viktor Nikiforov with her, as well as Sara Crispino, sister to the Italian Junior Mens skater Michele Crispino. Apparently they are close friends. Nikiforov and Michele Crispino have both been confirmed to be competing in the Grand Prix Final, with Crispino’s first place finish in the Juniors competition that just wrapped up in the other rink; so it is likely we will see Mila Babicheva in Berlin, though sadly not as a competitor.”

The second announcer seemed very excited as he continued their conversation about Mila’s future. Yuuri was glad she was getting the attention, Mila worked so hard so she deserved all of the praise.

“You’re right, and I for one cannot wait till Worlds in Calgary. It is clear she will be a force to be reckoned with. I know you say she’s a strong contented for the top ten, but I think it likely we’ll be seeing her on the podium. Just take a look at her rink mates: Viktor Nikiforv – the Mens World Champion, Yuri Plisetski – the Junior Mens World Champion, Georgi Popovich – who clinched his spot at the Grand Prix Final with a Gold and a Silver in his qualifiers.

“And apparently they are also working with a rising star out of Japan, if their social Media accounts are anything to go by. Viktor and Mila both attend a private Academy for the Arts, and one of their classmates is skater Yuuri Katsuki, who eased through his Japanese Nationals qualifiers just 2 weeks ago with International level scores and some absolutely incredible footwork. If you don’t believe me you should look it up on YouTube. I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing him at the Grand Prix very soon. And if these are the people surrounding Mila, there is no telling how far she will go. Clearly there is something in the water in Russia because these skaters are all monsters.”

The first announcer nodded, “It’s certainly an exciting team to be watching.”

They moved on to other skaters but Yuuri had already paled as he watched, quickly slamming his laptop closed. He hadn’t expected anyone to know about him, but he supposed he’d taken enough selfies with Viktor for people to wonder who he was. He opened his Instagram app and checked his feed. He’d been so busy lately he hadn’t checked in a while.

He almost tossed the phone out the window.

There were dozens of posts, not just from Viktor but Mila, Yurio and Georgi, all congratulating him on his qualification, posting photos of them skating together, calling him their teammate. Yuuri buried his face in his hands.

He wasn’t their teammate, not really. He had a different coach, he only knew them because he and Viktor and Mila all happened to be wizards. Now everyone was going to think he was so much better than he was. He curled up on himself, burying himself deep in the covers, ignoring Makka’s protests. He couldn’t do this...he just….

He felt someone shaking him

“Yuuri!” Riko urged.

He hadn’t even heard her come in, but now he realized he must have been having a panic attack. He wondered how long it had been since he had hidden in the covers. Makkachin was whimpering and licking his face. He took several deep breathes before opening his eyes and looking up to see Riko and Otabek watching him.

“We heard them say your name on TV and figured you might be freaking out,” she whispered kindly.

Otabek nodded.

Slowly Yuuri uncurled himself. He was still shaking, his mind was still jumbled, but after a few more minutes of focusing on his breathing he was calm enough to talk. “They just put all these expectations on me. I had no idea anyone would know who I am. Maybe some people in Japan, but not Internationally, not yet. I was hoping to surprise people at Nationals and then maybe get to go to Four Continents and have my freak out then, so it’d be out of my system before Worlds.”

“But now all that’s gone and ruined because if you don’t do well at Nationals, there’s no Worlds,” Otabek surmised.

“Maybe not even a Grand Prix. I need a good Nationals ranking so I can get invites to International competitions all spring, which will earn me invitations to the big evens next season. Even if I do amazing at Nationals, the JSF could decide not to send me since I’m untested, that’s their right and I’ve known it all along. But doing well opens so many doors.

“Now, with this, they might think I’m cocky, or expect me to do well because I train with Viktor. A third, or even forth place finish would have been enough before to put me in the right place, but now...if I don’t make the podium, if I don’t qualify to Worlds….”

“Oh Yuuri,” Riko hugged him. “I know you’re nervous, but I know you’ll do great.”

“Your skating really is amazing. I’ve spent enough time with Viktor over the years to know good skating when I see it,” Otabek reassured.

Yuuri tried to focus on breathing, but couldn’t quite shake the fears. Why did they have to say his name?

“I had no idea you were so nervous,” Riko said softly. “Whenever I see you skate you always just look like you’re so in love with everything you do; it’s mesmerizing. I think the others were just genuinely proud of you; I doubt they would have talked you up so much if they had known this would happen. They just want to support you.”

Otabek nodded, “Viktor has this gift, whenever he focus on something, and really puts his love into it, it just becomes so appealing that anyone around him can’t help but look. That’s how it’s always been with skating, and now that you’re dating,” Yuuri made a choked sound, “well, almost dating, more attention is going to naturally fall on you. He’s like a magnet. I don’t think he even knows he’s doing it.

Yuuri sighed and nodded, “I suppose I’ll have to get used to a lot more eyes on him, won’t I? I sometimes forget there’s a world outside of this castle.”

Riko grinned, “The good news is, it’s pretty obvious he only has eyes for you. A lot of others things might make you nervous, but I’m pretty sure you can feel secure in that.”

Yuuri thought about that for a moment, “Do you think they were only talking me up because of Viktor?”

A sudden bop on the top of his head made Yuuri look up.

“Baka,” Riko glared at him.

“What she said,” Otabek nodded.  “Viktor’s been obsessed with your skating since last year. You’ve seen that video, right? You can barely see your face. He wasn’t obsessed with you for your looks, and he knew nothing about you personality. The only thing he saw was your skating and he was completely smitten. He wouldn’t feel that way if you had no potential. Viktor might be flighty, but he’s not delusional. And if he thinks you’re that good, then there’s no doubt others see it too.”

Yuuri sighed, willing his mind to listen to their words.

Riko smiled kindly and gave him another hug, “I think you should tell Viktor your worries; talk about it. No matter what happens at Nationals, you know Viktor will be proud of you, and so will all of us. That’s some comfort, isn’t it?”

Yuuri nodded, she was right. Maybe focusing on Worlds was too much right now, too big for where he was. A good showing at Nationals was a win no matter what. If he didn’t get big invitations, that was alright, Celestino would still get him into a lot of competitions in the spring and summer. Even if he didn’t catch up to Viktor right now, as long as he stepped forward, that was enough.

Even if he didn’t qualify for Worlds, Viktor would still be so proud of him, would still tell him he did well.

“And think how much BETTER it’ll feel when you make him your boyfriend!” She poked him in the ribs and Yuuri groaned.

Otabek for his part just chuckled. “What’s the pool up to now?”

Yuuri’s eyes snapped up, mouth hung open.

“I think we’re at 30 Gallions, want to get in on it?” Riko grinned.

“So there _is_ a pool!” Yuuri moaned.

Riko giggled and patted him on the head, “You should make sure to ask him before he asks you, Yuuri. And do it this week. Then I’ll win.”

“Anyone got Viktor asking him on his birthday?” Otabek asked.

“Jo, since October.”

Yuuri groaned and buried his face into Makkachin’s fur.

“Put me down for the same,” Otabek whispered.

“OUT! BOTH OF YOU! I HATE YOU ALL!”

 

When Viktor, Mila and Sara arrived home, it was with a subdued atmosphere. Mila’s eyes were red rimmed, and Viktor and Sara both looked like they hadn’t slept much.

“She was up all night crying,” Sara whispered to Yuuri at dinner.

Yuuri spent the better part of the evening hugging Mila, and telling her how wonderful she was, but also telling her she was entitled to a good cry. “I know I’d be crying too,” he admitted, openly. He felt Viktor squeeze his shoulder as he did in a comforting manner.

“You’re a really nice person, Yuuri,” Mila whispered. “If you get sick of Viktor let me know.”

Yuuri’s mouth dropped open as he saw Mila glance up, still a little puffy with tears, but grinning evilly.

“You better hurry Viktor,” she murmured over Yuuri’s shoulder, “maybe I’ll take him for myself.” She hugged Yuuri closer crushing her boobs against him.

Viktor looked unperturbed, “I’m guessing today is your bet for the pool?” Mila grinned and nodded, seeming to be coming back to her usual self at Yuuri’s expense.

Yuuri groaned, “I really hate everyone.”

 

By Tuesday Yuuri was ready to put money in on himself for right that second and ask Viktor himself just to shut everyone up.

“Don’t mind them too much, Yuuri,” Viktor muttered as he hugged him close at lunch. “They all mean well, they just aren’t subtle.”

But this was part of why Yuuri was nervous. Viktor obviously knew Yuuri wanted to date him, and yet they hadn’t talked about it. What if that meant he didn’t want to?

He felt Viktor hug him tighter, “Ignore it. Focus on me, on us, Yuuri. What do you want to do right now?”

Yuuri breathed and thought about it for only a second, “I want to go skating with you.”

Viktor smiled, “Then that’s what we’ll do. I’ll lock everyone out and you can just relax. It’s nearly your birthday in Japan so we can start celebrating early. Birthday boy gets whatever he wants, right?”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile.

They spent the afternoon skating, Yuuri’s parents called him right at the stroke of midnight in Japan to wish him Happy Birthday. They greeted Viktor too, and Mari asked if they were dating yet, though fortunately in Japanese so Yuuri could shush her privately.

Viktor was skating a new program Yuuri hadn’t seen before to some unheard music. He was marking jumps and mostly focusing on his footwork, but Yuuri couldn’t help but wonder if this was the new exhibition.

He was ready to ask when Viktor declared practice over and pulled them up to the Astronomy tower several minutes earlier then they needed to leave. Yuuri stammered a few feeble protests as he was dragged along. They climbed the stairs quickly, and Yuuri noticed a strange glow at the top of the stairs and felt himself push up the stairs under his own will power, curiosity driving his legs faster until he emerged at the top of the tower.

The tower was empty, but the entire space was filled with the soft glow of what must have been a hundred floating candles. Yuuri’s mouth fell open as he took in the scene.

“Happy Birthday,” Viktor whispered, slowly curling his arms around Yuuri’s waist from behind. Yuuri stared at the beautiful scene, tears prickling his eyes at how beautiful it was as he leaned back against Viktor.

“I know a lot of people have been pressuring you, but I want you to know I’ve never cared about any of that. I knew I wouldn’t be ready to be with you until I could tell you everything about me. I knew that I wanted to trust you completely. And I knew you wanted to feel the same way.”

He slowly turned Yuuri in his arms until they were facing each other, “I trust you, Yuuri. With everything.” He leaned his forehead against Yuuri’s and their eyes locked. Viktor’s mouth curled into a smile. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Yuuri felt tears burst from his eyes as he nodded emphatically, a strangled “Yes” slipping from his lips as Viktor hugged him close.

Yuuri could feel Viktor trembling and gripped him tighter, staying that way for several minutes. “I know you already asked me, but will you be my boyfriend, Viktor?”

He felts Viktor stiffen and then laugh, “Yes! Of course!” he giggled more and more and Yuuri couldn’t help but join in, neither of them stopping until the alarms on their phones warned them it was time to actually take their measurements. With a bit of sadness they put out the candles and set to work.

“How did you manage this though?” Yuuri asked as he checked the Europa’s aurora in his telescope.

“Jo and Otabek did it for me. I asked them to do it last Tuesday. I had sort of planned to ask you during the Grand Prix, but after all that mess at the Trophee I knew I didn’t want to wait any longer. This seemed perfect.”

Yuuri smiled but then a thought occurred to him, “That little cheater!”

“Hmm?” Viktor looked up from his telescope questioningly.

“Otabek joined the pool Saturday night! He already knew you were going to ask me!”

Viktor barked out a laugh, going back to his work, “I think it backfired though. I’m pretty sure no one thought we’d both ask at the same time; except me that is.”

Yuuri stood stunned, “You entered the pool?”

Viktor grinned, “Yeah, I was one of the first. I kept my answer hidden in an envelope though so no one knew what I thought. Though I’ll lose on the date. I guess no one wins, really.”

“I do,” Yuuri whispered, shyly looking at Viktor. “I win because now you’re my boyfriend.”

Viktor grinned and raced over to hug him, “Then I’m a winner too because you’re my boyfriend!” Viktor lifted him off the ground and spun him in the air for a moment, making Yuuri laugh again. Being with Viktor seemed to means lots of smiles and laughs, and that seemed like a very good thing.

They went to sleep that night cuddling in Viktor’s bed. Yuuri was tempted to kiss him about a thousand times, but with no sure sign from Viktor he decided to be patient.

When he woke, Viktor was already awake and watching him sleep. He blushed and thought about hiding under the covers, but something about Viktor’s steady gaze kept him where he was. They’d shared this bed a dozen times over the past few months, yet this was the first time he woke-up beside Viktor, his boyfriend, and that made a big difference.

They laid there; fingers intertwined and just stared at each other for a long time. “Happy Birthday, Yuuri.” Viktor whispered finally, a smile on his face.

“You already said that,” Yuuri couldn’t help but tease.

“Boyfriend’s privilege, I get to say it as much as I want.”

Yuuri blushed.

As the day progressed, they worked hard to avoid the questions of the others and resolutely did not answer any questions pertaining to the status of their relationship; trying to keep it to themselves just a little longer. There were lots of calls of ‘Happy Birthday’ to Yuuri, and several of his friends gave him gifts, making sure he had a furious blush on his cheeks throughout the entire day.

Viktor had canceled Skating club on Wednesdays until after the Grand Prix, so they had the ice to themselves, at least until Mila showed up, though according to Viktor she had in fact injured herself a bit in her Free Skate and was mostly taking it easy, working with Sara and Otabek until her body felt a bit stronger.

“She thinks she’ll be back on the ice tomorrow. To be honest I think she just needed some time away to get over the loss.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but agree. He missed Mila, but he was happy to be alone with Viktor.

He skated with more joy than he had since he’d gotten back from Japan; something in his heart seemed to have exploded forth. He spun and swirled, over and over, jumping his favorite jumps, not caring how he skated, just that he did.

He could barely contain his magic, that music he always heard in his mind flicking just under the surface. He considered letting it spill out a bit.

Viktor was laughing happily, watching him, “I take it you’ve enjoyed your birthday?” He asked as he skated up to Yuuri.

Yuuri grinned and spun in place, grabbing onto Viktor’s hands and spinning him with him, “It was the best!”

Viktor laughed and they spun faster, finally coming to a stop, both dizzy and giggling, hugging each other as they tried to catch their breath and stay upright.

And then Viktor kissed him.

It was soft and gentle, lasting only a second before Viktor pulled back, “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have done that! I mean, I wanted to, I have for a long time and I think you do too? But I should have asked. I know you told me I should ask but…”

“You’re right,” Yuuri rebuked, “it’s wrong to kiss someone without permission.”

“I know I’m really sor…”

Yuuri cut him off by kissing him back. “We’re even now,” he grinned as he pulled back.

Viktor gaped at him for a second before they both smiled and this time when they kissed, they both were saying yes. Yuuri couldn’t believe how happy he was. He was sure if he tried he could do a Quad Axel right now, but that would require him to stop kissing Viktor, and that was a terrible idea.

A camera shutter was what finally pulled them apart, as hoots and cheers filled the room. Viktor laughed darkly and leaned his forehead against Yuuri’s.

“I suppose you forgot to lock the door,” Yuuri whispered.

“I suppose I did.”

“I guess the whole school will know soon.”

“That is a definite possibility,” Viktor whispered back.

Smiling at each other they laughed, and hand-in-hand, skated towards their friends, ready to deal with at least a solid hour of a mix of congratulations and teasing. There were worse ways to spend his birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, we’re back guys. Thanks for your patience as I took a week off. I’m glad to be back!
> 
> Eagle-eyed readers will note we now have a final chapter count, gasp! Based on my outlines and notes, this should clock-in at 38 – 40 chapters. My _plan_ is 38 chapters, but if I need to add a few more, I’ll update the final chapter count.
> 
> Chapter 30 will be the end of Act 2. 29 will be out next week (it's going to be monstrously long), and I’m shooting to have 30&31 out the following week. Full fic should be done by the end of June/early-July.
> 
> Many thanks to my pal for his help with picking the Patronuses. (Viktor’s joke about wanting to eat Yuuri is his fault.)
> 
> Much music this chapter!
> 
> Sara’s Dance: [Sound of Silence – Dami Im](https://youtu.be/2EG_Jtw4OyU)
> 
> Yuuri’s Solo Dance: [Genghis Khan – Miike Snow](https://youtu.be/P_SlAzsXa7E)
> 
> Sara/Yuuri Dance: [My Chick Bad – Ludacris ft. Nicki Minaj](https://youtu.be/JqHliQijgvA) (inspiration for the dance from [this video](https://youtu.be/XrT5ca9EbTw))
> 
> And finally, if you've never seen Irish clogging, [here you go!](https://youtu.be/yX1tnpht8aY)
> 
> EDIT: I forgot to include pictures of Yuuri and Viktor's Patronuses! Here's a [Gentoo Penguin](http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/happyfeet/images/c/c8/Gentoo_penguins_antarctica-wide.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140813170748) and a [Baikal seal pup](https://bigheartsblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/00114320db4112c4c6a72d.jpg?w=640).
> 
> Thank you so very much for your support throughout this fic! It’s been amazing reading your comments. There’s still so much to come, and I definitely have secrets left to reveal. I’m excited to share some of the other ideas I’ve been kicking around with you soon.
> 
> If you’ve enjoyed, please push that kudos button, share it with your friends, and leave a comment. I feel no shame in saying it makes me feel happy. :) See you next week for the GPF!


	29. Prix Dawn

By the next morning news that Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov were officially dating had spread to pretty much the entire student body in the form of a series of Instagram posts. Yuuri was pretty sure there were even a few memes that had been created, though he didn’t check his feed to confirm. Texts from Phichit, Yuuko, and his sister that morning confirmed it had gone beyond the castle as well, with Yuuko’s message including links to several articles with URLs that included phrases like “viktor_nikiforov_caught_in_the_act_with” that Yuuri ignored

By and large no one was surprised, though there were apparently a few people feeling a bit disappointed as their far-fetched dreams were now dashed. None of these people were anyone Yuuri had ever even met before, however, so he didn’t feel too bad. According to Riko, anyone who had spent any time with the two of them knew they were perfect together, and had given up any designs on the two skaters quickly.

“You sound like you’re speaking from personal experience,” Yuuri had commented to her over breakfast.”

“Of course, I knew by the time we finished dinner on the second night.” Yuuri gaped at her and she laughed, “Don’t worry, it was nothing serious. It was clear by the way you looked at him that pining after you was a lost cause.”

“I had no idea.”

“Well of course not, silly,” Riko giggled, “It lasted like a day. I was hardly heartbroken.”

The moment of slight discomfort was nothing compared to the mortification he felt when his mother called during his morning run.

“Yuuri dear, does Viktor have any food allergies?” She was speaking English, which was unusual for her.

Yuuri scrunched his brow, “Um, no. Don’t think so,” he responded in Japanese.

“Alright, and speak English, son. I need to practice before your boyfriend comes to visit. What size does he wear? He’ll be arriving on Christmas, right? We need to have a present for him, and I want to knit him a sweater. I was thinking of one with a big poodle on it. He has one in that poster you have, so I thought he’d like that.”

“You’re making him a Christmas sweater?” Yuuri whispered hoping Viktor and Otabek wouldn’t hear.

“Of course, isn’t that tradition in England?”

“Mother, he’s Russian! I’m pretty sure they don’t do Christmas sweaters,” he whispered frantically.

“Oh let her make him one,” Otabek grabbed the phone from him suddenly and held him back with a single stiff arm. “Hello, Mrs. Katsuki? I’m Viktor’s cousin, Otabek. Viktor wears a medium, and he has no food allergies, though you should keep him away from too much sugar as he gets a bit hyper. Once he got so excited peed himself.”

“BEKS!” Viktor squealed, “Don’t say that! I was 5!”

“You peed yourself when you were 5?” Yuuri asked curiously. “Isn’t that a bit old?”

“But Yuuri, there was cake and I was afraid if I went to the bathroom I’d miss it!”

“Viktor,” Otabek said with a chuckle, “It was _your_ birthday party.”

 

Viktor was still fuming at Otabek when they parted for Yuuri’s Transfiguration lesson, and was muttering that his Durmstrang education might finally come in use. Yuuri had been forced to promise him a kiss after class if he calmed down and didn’t kill his best friend during his free period.

It appeared to work as Viktor had skipped over to an alcove nearby to quietly study while he waited for Yuuri’s lesson to be dismissed in an hour.

Yuuri sighed and wandered into the classroom to take a seat.

“Mr. Katsuki.” Yuuri felt a small shiver run down his spine, wondering if he was about to be in trouble for something as the Head Mistress approached. He straightened up in his seat.

“I meant to speak with you yesterday but it slipped my mind. I know Mr. Reid was supposed to come and finalize your Apparition examination yesterday, but unfortunately an emergency came up. He says he’ll be here on Saturday for his normal lessons with the rest of the 6th years and he’ll do your examination then.”

“Oh!” Yuuri couldn’t help but gasp a little in relief. “Yes, alright. That’s no problem. I was worried I wouldn’t be allowed to go to the Grand Prix next week.”

The Professor smiled kindly as she leaned down speaking quietly, “Normally I would be hesitant to let a student take leave for a long weekend away, but your grades have been fantastic all year, you haven’t caused any bother, or even lost your house a point; all while putting tremendous pressure on yourself. I think that’s deserving of a reward.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but blush, “This school gave me a chance, I feel like it would be a waste to take that for granted.”

She smiled and nodded, “Keep at it. I’m sure that attitude with serve you far beyond the walls of this castle.”

With the excitement of his Apparition exam and his discussion with the Head Mistress still on his mind he nearly forgot his promise to Viktor, but was reminded of it instantly when Viktor popped up in front of him as soon as he exited the room, before dragging him off to a hidden corner.

 Yuuri was nearly late to Muggle studies because of it.

During the lesson their teacher had asked to borrow one of their phones for a demonstration, and Yuuri handed his over not realizing he had forgotten to turn it on Do Not Disturb. Using a charm to project the screen onto the wall, she showed the class an App that helped Muggles find restaurants and rate them. Yuuri was glad he had his family’s Inn favorited as she pulled it up and showed off the glowing comments talking about the Inn’s delicious food and heavenly baths.

The Professor was halfway through her discussion, however, when a text came in from Yurio.

                _Gross Katsudon. I really didn’t want to see you sucking Viktor’s face first thing when I woke up this morning. Tell your boyfriend I think you’re both disgusting._

It was followed by a second text that was just a series of barf emojis that sent the entire class into a fit of giggles. Yuuri wished for not the first time that day for the ground to swallow him quickly.

By the time lunch rolled around Yuuri already had multiple texts from Otabek, Guang Hong, Clara and Leo, all informing him that he needed to pick-up his puppy. He wasn’t entirely sure what they meant by it until Otabek positively shoved Viktor into his arms when they got to the Great Hall.

“He’s been pining all lesson. You’ll need to get him a leash…or a muzzle.”

“Beks, I had no idea you were so kinky,” Viktor cooed as he snuggled against Yuuri happily.

Yuuri blanched but Otabek just rolled his eyes, “Don’t project your fantasies on me, Nikiforov.”

“Oh so cold, I thought we were cousins, Altin.”

“Don’t remind me,” he muttered and stomped away.

“What was all that about?” Yuuri asked looked at Viktor who was being unusually clingy.

“I might have irritated him during class by talking about you too much.”

Yuuri rested his forehead into the palm of his hand. “Viktor, you do realize we will need to be apart for much longer than a few classes, right?”

Viktor pouted, “I know, but I don’t have to like it.”

“I had no idea you were so clingy,” Yuuri mumbled under his breath.

“Yes you did, and you like it,” Viktor grinned and finally untangled himself from Yuuri as he took a bite of a cheese roll. Yuuri simply sighed and admitted, yes, he did know, and he really didn’t mind it at all.

 

“You know, I did not plan out one aspect of this,” Viktor muttered as they spent the evening curled up in one of the squishy armchairs in Gryffindor Tower.

“What’s that?” Yuuri replied a bit distractedly as he jotted down a few History of Magic notes for Viktor. He had taken to filling in any missing pieces of information from the lessons into Viktor’s notes for him. It was good review for him and helped Viktor fill in the gaps where his attention had failed him.

“I asked you out two days before I have to leave for the Grand Prix,” he whispered pulling Yuuri a bit closer. “All I want to do is snuggle with you, but I have to leave tomorrow. It sucks,” he pouted.

Yuuri couldn’t help put smile and snuggle a bit closer, “Yeah, but at least I get to come watch this time. I don’t like being apart either, but I can’t wait to come support you next weekend.”

Viktor seemed beside himself with joy at that thought, “Can I show you off? Introduce you to all my friends?”

“I’m guessing you’re going to be using the word boyfriend a lot?” Viktor nodded emphatically and Yuuri just sighed with a slight grin, “If you must.”

Viktor smiled and then seemed to think of something as he worried his lip between his teeth, “You don’t think I’m being a little too clingy, right? I’m always kind of affectionate, but I know I’m going a little overboard today.”

Yuuri smiled good naturedly, “Well, you might want to tone it down in public a bit, if only for Otabek’s sake, but honestly, when we’re alone, I really like it.”

Viktor let out a sigh of relief, “I’m just so happy.”

“I know, I am too. I can’t wait to get there and make it clear to everyone that you’re mine. I’m a little nervous, but excited too. Who all will be there?”

Viktor leaned his head gently against Yuuri’s temple. “Let’s see, Chris from Switzerland, he’s basically my best friend in the circuit. JJ, whom you know,” he made a small noise of annoyance and Yuuri elbowed him gently, “I know, I know, I’ll be nice, but only because you like him.

“There’s someone from China, I honestly don’t know him. I know we’ve skated against each other before but we’ve just never really spoken. I’m pretty sure this is his first Final.”

“It is,” Yuuri confirmed.

Viktor chuckled, “I thought it seemed suspicious, you pretending you didn’t know.”

Yuuri blushed, “I guess I just more wanted to talk about it with you.”

Viktor grinned, “Well in that case, Georgi will be there. He’s excited to see you again. It’s a small shame though. He just edged out your country’s representative. If it was anyone other than him I’d be disappointed. I like Oda.”

“You know him?” Yuuri wouldn’t admit it, but he’d been watching videos of Japan’s #1 skater ever since Regionals, and was secretly excited to meet the skater.

Viktor nodded, “I’ve known him for a while from competition, but I really talked to him for the first time at Worlds. He’ll probably know who you are by the way. I might have showed him your video and asked if he knew you.”

Yuuri paled, “Oda-san knows me?”

Viktor snickered, “Of course he does Yuuri. And if he didn’t before, he’s sure to now after your Regional score. You’re real competition. You shouldn’t worry too much though; he’s a very respectful competitor.”

Yuuri took a breath, “Should I say hello for you?”

Viktor nodded, “Please do. I’m looking forward to seeing him at Worlds too.”

They grew quiet then. They both knew who the 6th competitor was. Yuuri knew they’d have to deal with it soon, but two days into their relationship upgrade was not when Yuuri wanted to broach the subject if he could help it.

“Will Dr. Petrov be with you in Berlin?” he asked instead.

Viktor nodded, “After my episode from the Trophee she’s insisting on it. Between her, Yakov, and Yurio, I should be well taken care of until you and Otabek get there.”

“Don’t forget Georgi, Sara, and Mila. You’ll have an army around you by Thursday night.”

Viktor beamed at that, “Ah, I am so excited. I’ve never had friends outside of skating come to my completion. Having classmates and my boyfriend with me,” he covered his face with his hands, “it’s too much. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to skate, Yuuri!”

“Are you excited for you Exhibition?”

Viktor peaked through his hands and nodded, “It was actually going to be how I asked you out.”

Yuuri’s eyes widened, “Really?”

Viktor nodded, “I still can’t wait to show you. I’ve been planning it for so long.”

Yuuri blushed and kissed him, “I can’t wait to see it.”

They went back to their work, Viktor was checking over Yuuri’s Alchemy homework, making notes on the pages where he needed to adjust his calculations. He had a real gift for it.

“You know, I’ve always liked Alchemy, but it’s much harder than I expected at this level,” Yuuri commented.

Viktor nodded, “Over the years it’s really been the only safe topic of conversation around my house, so I always defaulted to it with Dad. I’m lucky for that now. I wish I could feel comfortable enough to contact him now with questions.”

“You probably could. I’m sure he wouldn’t begrudge you that.”

Viktor shrugged, looking over at his now completed History of Magic notes Yuuri was handing him. “I was thinking maybe I should drop this subject,” he sighed.

Yuuri shook his head, “Nope. If I have to suffer through Alchemy, you have to suffer through this.”

“But without you and Jo filling in my notes for me I’d be doomed. It seems wrong to carry on when I can’t do it myself.”

“Why?” Yuuri asked honestly. “You’ve been helping me with my skating all fall. I wouldn’t be where I am now without you. By your logic should I quit?”

“Absolutely not! This is different!”

“No it’s not. My problem with jumps is that I over think them. Your problem with History of Magic is you can’t focus. Neither of us can control all the mental hurdles we have to deal with, but if we work together we both benefit; or has helping me skate been dragging you down?”

Viktor’s mouth fell open, “Of course not, I didn’t…”

Yuuri smiled, “I know, and I feel the same way about your History of Magic notes. They help me; I like doing them. So don’t be a defeatist about this. Just keep doing your best.”

Viktor blushed but nodded, “You’ll be a good coach someday, Yura.”

“So will you, Vitya.”

 

The next day Viktor was set to leave right after classes, and Yuuri and Otabek found themselves helping him sort out some of his suitcases. Yuuri had discovered over Viktor’s many weekends away that they both seemed to find a simple joy in packing the suitcases. Yuuri would make a list and give Viktor one task at a time, and then fold the items he brought back while Viktor grabbed the next set of items.

The mundane task seemed to calm them both. Otabek for his part was best at handling the odd items like skates and sports wrap that had to be packed, but couldn’t really be neatly sorted, unlike socks and t-shirts.

Makkachin wasn’t much help in their endeavors, choosing to curl up in the middle of the bed where Yuuri was sorting Viktor’s training clothes.

“You’re taking a Muggle airplane to the competition this time, aren’t you?” Otabek asked.

Viktor nodded, “Since Yurio and Georgi are with me I can’t ask Yakov to get there so early. Plus we are going to have a _lot_ of luggage between us with all of the suits and costumes. There’s no way I can Apparate it all myself, and it would be unfair to ask Yakov to take it for me.”

“I’d like to fly on an airplane someday,” Otabek mused. He and Viktor had obviously made up from their spat the day before, though Viktor was being a bit less clingy today than he had been the day before. Yuuri hoped their talk had helped at least a little.

“Then we should do it,” Viktor said happily, “though not very far. It’s boring after more than an hour.”

Yuuri grinned, “I don’t know. Maybe he should come visit Japan and get the full day-long travel experience.”

“Did you do that when you came to school?” Viktor asked, a smile grin on his face.

Yuuri grinned back, “Well no, I Apparated with Minako.”

Viktor nodded, “That should tell you everything you need to know Beks. Trust me, stick to a short flight.”

Otabek nodded and they all went back to work.

Once the bags were packed Otabek patted Viktor on the shoulder before heading out, leaving them alone.

“I’ll miss you,” Yuuri whispered.

“I’ll miss you too,” Viktor whispers.

And then they were kissing. Yuuri was vaguely aware of his back colliding with the door, the dull thunk as his head followed right behind it, but he didn’t care, because this kiss was different. They’d only shared a few kisses really, but after waiting so long to be together, it was like every part of his body was desperate for that connection, and Viktor seems to be feeling no different.

Yuuri entwined his fingers into Viktor’s hair, happy that Viktor chose to wear it down today. It felt so silky flowing between his fingers; Yuuri realized idly that his dream of being able to touch Viktor’s hair as much as he’d like had come true. He makes a happy sound in his throat.

Viktor’s hands gripped his waist, and as a small gasp escaped Yuuri mouth, Viktor reached up to his face, slowly cupped his cheek, tilting his head back against the door, and Yuuri parted his lips to the warm tip of Viktor’s tongue brushing his lip.

A shout from the hall broke the moment, as what must have been a group of first years comes barreling past the door, chattering happily.

Viktor’s hand was still on Yuuri’s cheek, his forehead leaning forward to press against Yuuri’s as they both struggled to catch their breath. Yuuri noticed that one of his hands must have let go of the silver strands and had gripped Viktor’s hip. They were still pressed tightly together, the sensation making Yuuri’s heart pound anew.

“If I don’t go I’ll be late to practice,” Viktor whispers.

“And then I’ll be single because Yakov will kill you, I know,” Yuuri breathes.

Viktor chuckles darkly but doesn’t deny it. “You’ll stay in my room while I’m gone?”

Yuuri nods, “Of course, and I’ll steal your clothes too.”

“Yuuuuuri, that’s not fair, wearing my clothes when I’m not around to see.”

Yuuri grinned, “Maybe I’ll send you some pictures.”

Viktor groaned a bit, “Please do. Or better yet, bring some of your favorites to the Final and wear them when we’re together.”

Yuuri laughed and cheekily kissed Viktor. “Go now, practice hard. I’ll try and get McGonagall to let me skip Thursday’s classes so I can come to the practice and press session.”

“Not too early, I need your notes for History of Magic.”

Yuuri stuck his tongue out and Viktor giggled, “Kidding. Come as soon as you can. You have a suit right? You’re my date to the banquet.”

“Yes, yes. Minako insisted I bring one at the start of the year just in case.”

“In case of what?”

Yuuri shrugged, “Last minute competition or interview maybe?”

“Or maybe she knew I’d take you to the Grand Prix…”

Yuuri thought about it for a moment before sighing, “I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“Me either. A few of my memories have been coming back from that time. I know she was really kind to me, but there are an awful lot of memories of her being evil. This one time I was all bruised from practicing my doubles and she still made me practice my dancing and magic for hours. I’ve never been so sore.”

Yuuri snorted, “That’s nothing. She had me practice counter curses last year to prep for my OWLs. She’d hit me with the Furnunculus curse in unmentionable areas and then make me pole…” he slapped a hand over his mouth realizing what he was about to admit to.

Viktor looked at him, “Pole…what do you…YUURI, you don’t mean?!”

“Nope nope nope! Not saying!” Yuuri squealed and backed up until he was against the door again.

Viktor followed him, pressing against him, “Yuuri can you…”

Yuuri cut him off with a kiss. Viktor made a small sound of protest before groaning and pressing into the kiss. This time when Yuuri opened his mouth, Viktor’s tongue slid inside, gently flicking against his own, causing them both to groan. Yuuri could feel himself reacting, and was pretty sure he could feel Viktor doing the same. He pulled back, a sound of regret slipping from his lips.

Viktor nearly chased him but Yuuri slipped his fingers between them, pressed against Viktor’s lips.

“Viktor, you need to get to practice.”

“But Yuuri!”

“If you don’t go Yakov will kill you and then you’ll never know.”

Viktor pouted, “It might be worth it…”

Yuuri rolled his eyes, “Go, you troublesome Russian.”

Viktor whimpered a bit but eventually sighed, “Fine, but I will get the answer out of you.”

Yuuri smiled, “Maybe. I’ll see you Thursday night. Work hard.”

Viktor grinned, “Oh I will. I have to impress you so much you let me go further.”

Yuuri sucked in a breath, blushing furiously, “I…”

Viktor leaned forward and pecked his lips softly, “Don’t worry. Not until we’re both ready.”

Yuuri nodded and they hugged one more time before Viktor collected his bags and dragged them into the fireplace. “See you soon, Yura.”

“Goodbye, Vitya,” Yuuri whispered back.

Viktor smiled and with a shout and a burst of flames he was gone, leaving Yuuri alone in his room with a sleeping Makkachin.

He sighed and just breathed for a minute before a thought overtook him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, chewing on his bottom lip a bit.

“Riko, Are you busy? Could you meet me in my room in about five minutes? I need some advice.”

 

A few minutes later, after some serious coaxing, Yuuri and Makka were up in his room meeting Riko, and to his surprise, Guang Hong and Mila.

“Makka!” Mila cooed as the dog hopped up on Yuuri’s bed to snuggle with his friend.

“We were with Riko when you called and decided to tag along,” Guang Hong supplied.

Riko nodded, “So what do you need?”

Yuuri took a breath, “Viktor wants me to come to the Grand Prix Banquet with him next week and I need to dress nice, like a suit or something. I don’t have much with me, but I figured you could tell me if it looks ok, or help me find a different tie or something if I need it.” He fidgeted a bit; he’d never really cared about his clothes before, but with Riko and Phichit’s help, he’d looked really good for the dance and Viktor had liked it. He couldn’t help but want to repeat the experience.

His three friends stared at him for a minute before laughing, “Wow,” Mila snickered. “You’ve got it bad, huh?”

Yuuri just nodded, no sense pretending otherwise.

Riko smiled, “Well get on with it, show us!” Yuuri pulled out his suit to show Riko but she shook her head. “We’re going to need to see you wear it.”

“Oh, um well then can I get some…”

Guang Hong conjured a curtain out of thin air. “There you go.”

Yuuri nodded and slipped behind the curtain to change. His suit was the basic one all JSF skaters wore. It wasn’t very fancy, but it seemed nice enough to him. He hoped Viktor would like it.

He stepped out from behind the curtain, “So what do you think?”

The three stared at him. It was quiet for a very long moment.

“Yuuri,” Mila said, “I’m going to be honest with you. If you wear that tie Viktor is going to burn it.”

“What?! It’s not that bad is it?” He picked up the tie looking at it. It was blue; he liked blue.

“It is,” Riko agreed. His three friends stared for another minute before they all looked at each other and nodded. There was a flurry of movement as Guang Hong and Mila pulled out their phones and Riko stood and to take a closer look at his clothes.

“Hey Leo,” Guang Hong spoke into his phone, “I need you to bring any dress clothes you have that would be acceptable in a Muggle setting.”

Yuuri could hear Leo asking questions but couldn’t focus on his reply because Mila was on the phone with Seung-gil making a similar request. Riko for her part was now searching through Yuuri’s wardrobe.

“Yuuri, please tell me you have a little time over Christmas break. I need to take you shopping,” she grumbled.

“You’ll have to get in line behind my friend Phichit; he’s been trying to redo my wardrobe for years.”

She clicked her tongue, as she continued her search, moving on to his roommate’s wardrobes. Yuuri thought about protesting, but had a feeling that none of the boys would deny her.

She was still looking when Leo and Seung-gil entered the room both burdened under large piles of clothes from the boys in both their houses. Soon the girls and Guang Hong were busy sorting through possible choices.

They poked and prodded, having him try dozens of combinations, but no one else seemed to have a Muggle suit. They found a few ties, but most were little better than the one they had.

“I am so taking you shopping,” Riko muttered.

“Riko,” Seung-gil spoke up quietly. He was standing in front of Yuuri’s wardrobe looking at something inside. “Come here for a moment.”

Riko’s eyebrow rose as she made her way over to the wardrobe where Seung-gil seemed to show her something deep within. He eyes lit up. “Oh yes, good work Seung-gil. There’s been a change of plans everyone!”

Riko pulled her discovery out of the wardrobe and there was a collective rustle of agreement from all of his friends. Yuuri was about to argue, but any protests he might have had died on his tongue the moment he noticed that Poster Viktor was watching with hearts in his eyes.

“Crap,” he whispered to himself.

 

On Saturday, as promised, Mr. Reid returned and within minutes Yuuri had secured permission to Apparate. “Normally the test would be a lot more exhaustive, but seems like that would be a waste of time for you,” he said jovially after they finished up. Yuuri couldn’t help but be grateful not to have to go through a long, nerve wracking examination, much preferring the relaxed atmosphere that Mr. Reid let off.

He spent most of the following days in Mila’s company. Her grades had been steadily rising thanks to their friends help and since Viktor had left the castle she’d been on the ice more, quietly confessing to Yuuri that it had been a little hard to skate with him after her failure.

“Mila,” Yuuri whispered, hugging her tight, “you’re not a failure. The coverage was all about how well you did, and how everyone knows you’re going to be storming the podiums before we know it. No one thinks you failed. Believe me.”

Things had gotten better after then, Mila and Yuuri skating together every day, which Yuuri found was great for his flexibility since Mila seemed to make every spin look so much more beautiful with how her body bent and curved.

By Wednesday afternoon Yuuri and Mila were vibrating with excitement as they practiced. Mila was feeling much better, her Triple Axel much stronger than it had been, so much so that she was now adding a double after it. Yuuri was sure by Worlds she’d have one of the most technically difficult programs in the field.

Yuuri was running through his exhibition program when his phone rang. Mila picked it up since Yuuri was still working hard to master the complicated step sequence.

“Mila!” Yuuri heard Viktor’s voice call out excitedly, “Where’s my Yuuri?”

“He’s practicing, dork,” she muttered, turning the phone towards the ice as Yuuri finished the final passes of the program. When he struck the final pose Viktor and Mila both clapped and he skated over to them, gratefully accepting a towel from Mila.

“Hi Vitya,” he greeted, smiling at the phone.

“Yuuri! I’ve missed you! But you’ll never guess what I found out!”

“What’s that?” Yuuri asked as he and Mila both looked at Viktor curiously.

“The hotel allows pets!”

“Really?” Mila asked

Viktor nodded, “They even gave me some information for a walking service so they can take Makka for a walk while I’m competing. Oh Yuuri, will you please bring Makka with you!?”

Yuuri laughed, “Of course. It won’t be any more crowded than your room.”

“Oh don’t worry about that,” Viktor grinned, “I’ve got a Suite. It’s got a big couch and everything!”

“Good,” Mila nodded, “I’m pretty sure my room only has a chair. Sara and I will just come hang out in your room then.”

Viktor grinned, “Of course, just not too much. I want some alone time with Yuuri.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but blush.

“Oh ho,” Mila chuckled, “and what will you be doing with this alone time?”

Viktor grinned, “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

At that point Yuuri grabbed the phone and skated to the opposite side of the room, if only to end the teasing.

 

By Thursday morning they both had turned in all their homework and were packed and ready to go. Otabek and Sara seemed equally prepared as he finished chatting with their Heads of Houses in the Great Hall before coming to sit beside Yuuri and Mila at breakfast.

“I talked to Winky this morning and she’s got plenty of food packed for Makka,” Otabek informed Yuuri as he took as seat at the Gryffindor table with the others. “If you think you can manage him, I’ll take the girls with me.”

Yuuri nodded, he’d seen Minako do it so he had a good idea how to pull it off. Sara and Mila were chatting excitedly about trying to slip some sightseeing in around Berlin in the mornings before the competition began in earnest.

As the bells for class began to ring, Professor McGonagall approached them. Students heading to classes scattered around them.

“Are you all ready for the weekend?” She asked smiling kindly, and the 4 teenagers nodded eagerly. “Well then, I see no reason to delay your departure since I’m sure none of your minds will be fully focused on classes today,” she said with a grin before walking out of the hall before any of them could even react.

The realization of what she said hit them soon though and they all whooped, running to their dormitories to change into Muggle clothes and gather their belongings. Yuuri was glad he’d left his things in Viktor’s room since carrying a garment bag, suitcase and all of Makka’s things was going to be a challenge.

“I’ll take that,” Otabek nodded towards the garment bag. Yuuri thanked him and handed it over while he snapped the rarely used leash on Makkachin. The poodle seemed a bit confused by having to be secured, but accepted it since it was obvious he was going to get to go somewhere, and Makka was always game for going someplace new.

They made their way quickly to the Head Mistress’ office where Professor McGonagall just chuckled at their eagerness as all 4 teens and the happy poodle piled into her office. “Mr. Katsuki, I know you and Mr. Nikiforov will have activities until quite late on Sunday night, but do make sure you’re back in time for classes Monday morning.”

“Of course, Head Mistress,” he nodded.

She gave them a few more reminders before granting them permission to leave. Mila and Sara looped their arms around Otabek’s, each of them carefully holding their luggage and Yuuri’s garment bag. Yuuri knelt down and carefully held his suitcase in one hand and his wand in the other before wrapping his arms around Makka securely. With a nod, they turned on their heels and disappeared, Professor McGonagall smiling as they went.  Yuuri couldn’t help but grin as he completed his first fully licensed Apparition.

They arrived in a deserted alley behind the hotel where they’d be staying in Berlin, and Yuuri couldn’t help but swing his head around excitedly as they headed out onto the street. Across the street was a large field with several art sculptures and the stadium at the far end. It was beautiful, and the buzz of excitement around the venue was palpable. Makka seemed equally excited as he sniffed excitedly at everything his nose could reach.

They adjusted their belongings, making sure they all appeared sufficiently Muggle, and rounded the corner to enter the hotel, Yuuri leading the way to the front desk.

“Good morning!” the front desk clerk welcomed them, and Yuuri breathed a sigh of relief. He knew a few basic greetings in German, but that was the extent of it, and he was glad to not have to try and explain what they needed in such an unfamiliar tongue.

“Hi!” Mila greeted, “We’re checking in! Room under Babicheva.”

The woman nodded, “Yes, 1 room, 3 nights, 2 beds, correct?”

Mila nodded. The woman took her credit card and exchanged a set of keys to her before turning to Yuuri with a smile.

“Katsuki, I’m staying with Nikiforov, and I have his dog.”

“Ah yes, Mr. Katsuki! Mr. Nikiforov told me all about you this morning. And this must be Makkachin,” she smiled happily, leaning over the desk with a dog treat in hand, which Makka eagerly hopped up to take. “We’ll be sure to have someone stop by the room this afternoon to take Makkachin for a walk, unless you instruct us otherwise. Here’s your key so you can drop your belongings off. Mr. Nikiforov is at the stadium and left these for you so you could go join the team when you all arrive.” She handed Yuuri 4 lanyards, for which he thanked her.

She turned to Otabek who looked a little unsure but seemed to understand what to do after watching the others.

“Altin, I’m staying with…”

“Mr. Plisetsky, yes. He left a key for you this morning as well. Here you are.”

Otabek thanked her and turned to the others who were all staring at him, eyebrows raised.

“Oh really,” Sara grinned, “You’re staying with the kitten?”

“Very interesting,” Mila chuckled.

Otabek rolled his eyes, “We’ve become friends, and when I asked Viktor if he’d help me get a room, he suggested I stay with Yuri.”

“Uh huh,” Yuuri couldn’t help but tease after all the grief he’d gotten over the past few weeks.

Otabek just shrugged and they all made their way to the elevators, which Otabek found fascinating. They were all on the top floor, making finding their rooms easy. Yuuri helped show Otabek how to operate the keycard in the door before heading to his own room. He slid the card in the door and couldn’t help but smile as he looked around inside. It wasn’t a huge room, but it was quite comfortable. There was even a dog bed on the floor that Makka seemed to approve of based on how he curled up in it immediately.

Yuuri set his belongings in the closet, hanging his garment bag before quickly heading back into the hall. Mila was standing in the hall outside Otabek’s room giggling.

“Sara’s showing him how all the Muggle appliances work,” she smirked. “He’s very earnest, it’s adorable.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but grin. “I’ll have to invite him to my family’s inn some time. I’m sure he’d find that fascinating as well.”

Mila pouted, “You’d invite him before me? So mean, Yuuri.”

Yuuri sighed, “Everyone’s invited, come anytime, just tell my parents you’re my friends and they’ll take care of you.”

“Yay,” she cheered.

“What are we celebrating?” Sara asked, finally dragging Otabek out of the room and closing the door after she made sure he had his key.

“Yuuri invited us all to his family’s Inn,” Mila answered.

Otabek nodded, “Sounds good. I actually was planning to go to Japan this summer.”

“You were?” Yuri looked up at him as they made their way out of the hotel.

“Yeah, their Quidditch team is always really strong and I’m trying to get some training time in with them before I’m officially committed. Apparently their flight training is top notch.”

“Wow,” Yuuri replied, “that’s awesome. They train right by my old school so I could help you get there. We have a Floo connection set-up, so it’d be a perfect place for you to stay.”

Otabek smiled, “I’ll look forward to it then.”

Yuuri wondered something however, “How come you aren’t on the team now?”

“I technically am on the team, just not on the active roster right now. The World Cup took place right before 5th year, so last year I was mostly practicing to try-out for the squad. Right now there’s this Chaser who’s getting ready to retire, and they’re looking for me to replace him, but they don’t want to force him out. I would have become active this year but with Hogwarts and all it was a good opportunity to take some time off.

“At first I was hesitant about it, but now with my siblings coming to the school I’m glad for it. It’ll be tough once I graduate, I’ll only have a year to mesh with the team and get ready for the World Cup, but I think it’ll be worth it.”

Yuuri smiled, “If anyone can do it, it’ll be you.”

They made their way across the street following the girls who were lost in their own conversation. Yuuri made a point to quietly explain the crossing signals to Otabek so he wouldn’t accidentally walk in front of a car. After a short walk across the field they arrived at the entrance to the stadium, Yuuri handing each of them their passes.

There was a quick check of their belongings before they were inside, Mila leading the way towards the ice.

The stadium opened up on a positively huge arena bursting with seats. There wasn’t much of a crowd since it was the practice session, but there was still a slew of media, their cameras all focused on the ice as dozens of skaters moved on and off the ice, each group taking turns on the ice as they practiced. It seemed the pairs skaters were on the ice now.

A shout caught their attention. “Yuuri!” Yuuri turned just in time to catch Viktor as he jumped excitedly at him, already in his skates. “You’re early,” he grinned, finally sparing a glance at the others.

“McGonagall decided we wouldn’t pay attention in class anyways and let us leave after breakfast,” Sara supplemented.

Viktor was beaming, “Yay! Come with me, everyone’s this way. The pairs are almost done then the senior and Junior men will get their turns. I’m so excited you all get to watch me.” He seemed excited but Yuuri could note a small edge in his voice. He grabbed Viktor’s hand as they walked, interlacing their fingers. There were cameras everywhere, but with all of the people around, it was unlikely anyone would notice.

They slipped past several teams, who were all looking at them curiously, towards the Russian team. Yuuri got the impression from their looks they weren’t used to seeing Viktor with friends; Yuuri had certainly never seen Viktor bring anyone to his competitions, and couldn’t help the pride inside him that he was the first. Well, and Sara and Otabek. Mila didn’t count.

“Yakov!” Viktor cried happily, “Yuuri’s here!”

Yakov looked up and nodded, “Katsuki, good to see you. I trust you’re ready for Nationals?”

Yuuri nodded, “Yes sir. My jumps are much stronger thanks to the advice you gave me.” He bowed slightly out of respect.

Yakov nodded and then scowled at his own skaters, “You could all learn a thing or two from him.”

Viktor made a noise of protest but Mila just laughed, “Yakov, this is Sara Crispino and Otabek Altin.”

Yakov shook both their hands, “Your brother is looking good this year, Ms. Crispino. I’m sure he’ll do quite well in the Seniors next year.”

Sara nodded, “He’s been working very hard sir.”

“A shame you gave it up though, you had real potential.”

Sara suddenly blushed, “You know about…”

Yakov made a noise that might be considered a chuckle and turned towards Otabek, “I don’t suppose you’re a skater,” he said shaking Otabek’s hand.

“No sir, Rugby.”

Yuuri almost laughed at the lie.

Yakov scoffed, “A waste of potential. You should use that body to create art, not roll around in the mud.”

Otabek seemed to hold back a laugh, “Yes sir.”

“Viktor!” The quiet moment was broken by the sounds of angry Russian as Yurio stomped over to them, grumbling at Viktor apparently about some sports tape, based on Viktor pulling the roll out of his pocket and handing it over.

Yurio looked up and noticed them all there, “Hey Katsudon,” he waved at Yuuri.

“Hello Yurio,’ Yuuri smiled back, “you looked great at your last qualifier. That layback spin really worked well in your free.”

Yurio blushed a little but just muttered something Yuuri couldn’t catch, before turning to the others and spotting Otabek. “Beka,”

He said a bit more kindly, reaching his fist forward. Otabek bumped his against it smiling, “Nice to finally meet you, Yuri.”

“Did you all find the rooms alright?” Viktor asked happily. Yurio and Otabek were already talking quietly in Russian, Otabek obviously asking questions about the competition since Yuri was pointing out other skaters.

Yuuri nodded, “Thanks for talking to the front desk, it made everything simpler. Our rooms are all fairly close to one another so it was easy.”

“You brought Makka, right?”

Yuuri smiled indulgently, “Yes yes, he settled right in for a nap after the woman at the front desk gave him a treat.”

Viktor beamed and then hugged him and Yuuri leaned against him, gently hugging back. “Thank you for inviting me Viktor, this is really amazing.”

“It was my pleasure, believe me.”

Yuuri smiled and looked around, “Where’s Georgi?”

As if summoned Georgi appeared from back stage, a rather awestruck look on his face.

“He met a girl,” Viktor whispered. “She’s an Ice Dancer from one of the other Russian teams; he’s totally smitten, he was in my room all night telling me about her hair.”

“Wow, sounds worse than you,” Yuuri teased.

Viktor stuck his tongue out.

“Don’t tempt me,” Yuuri whispered. He wasn’t sure why he was in such a teasing mood, but by the look of Viktor’s face, it was appreciated.

Finally Georgi noticed him and came over and treated Yuuri to a very long discussion of the girl, “I was thinking of writing her a poem to ask her out,” He told Yuuri.

“Or you could just ask her out for coffee,” Yuuri answered hopefully.

“But that’s so ordinary, Yuuri!” And Yuuri had thought Viktor was dramatic, maybe it was a Russian thing. “Where did Viktor take you on your first date?”

“Uh, to be honest we haven’t really been on a date yet. Though we did go skating on my birthday.”

“Don’t you do that every day?”

Yuuri grinned, “Yeah, but it doesn’t make it any less special. We’re planning to go to the movies over Christmas break.”

“And don’t forget the banquet, Yuuri,” Viktor cut in from the floor where he was working on his final stretches.

“You’re right,” Yuuri smiled. “I guess that is kind of our first official date.”

Viktor smiled happily, “Da, I can’t wait!”

Georgi smiled at them indulgently, “Maybe you’re right…”

“I am,” Yuuri confirmed. “Coffee or a casual dinner at the most. Save the poetry for…never.”

Georgi looked like he was going to protest but a stern look from Yuuri silenced him. “Oh alright.”

“What’s her name, anyways?” Yuuri asked.

“Anya, and she’s so beautiful…” and he was off again. Yuuri sighed but continued to listen as Viktor silently snorted into his hand.

Sara managed to locate Michele and brought him over to the group, and Yuuri made sure to great him, only partially because it was a good excuse to end the conversation with Georgi.

They spotted JJ a few minutes later and Yuuri said hello; apparently JJ was in a new relationship as well, she was a cute girl based on the pictures he showed off. He had apparently joined a band and was writing a song, about himself of course. He was still a bit grating on the nerves, but he was kind enough, and Yuuri was glad to see he and Viktor seemed to have talked a bit throughout the previous competitions.

“Viktor!” Yuuri immediately recognized the Swiss skater who came towards them, happily. “Is this your boyfriend?” he asked in a low voice.

Yuuri blushed but Viktor grinned excitedly, “Yes! This is Yuuri! Yuuri, this is Chris.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Yuuri said a bit shyly, holding out his hand to shake Chris’, but Chris ignored it and hugged him instead. “Ah Viktor, he’s so cute. I might have to steal him,” he whined and then pinched Yuuri’s butt cheek.

Yuuri yelped and jumped back as Viktor draped himself over Yuuri glaring at his friend, “Chris, behave. Yuuri is mine.”

Chris laughed and began asking Yuuri about himself, and Yuuri was happy to see that their conversation seemed to flow smoothly and easily. Chris was quite an accomplished dancer, and happily told them he’d begun taking pole dancing lessons. Yuuri thought about telling him about his own lessons, but thought better of it. Viktor didn’t need any distractions right now.

“Are you going sightseeing together today?” Chris asked.

“Da,” Viktor smiled. “Yuuri brought my Makka so I’d like to stick to a nice walking tour so we can bring him along, if that’s alright?” he looked at Yuuri questioningly.

Yuuri nodded and Chris smiled, “Alright if I join your group then?”

“Of course,” Yuuri replied, and Viktor smiled happily.

An announcement over the loudspeaker broke up their conversation as the Senior Mens Skaters were called to the ice for their practice time. The skaters waved and made towards the ice, and Yuuri headed back to the space the Russian team seemed to have carved out for themselves. Mila and Sara were still wandering around chatting with some female skaters, while Yurio was finishing his stretches, talking to Otabek as he did.

He was going to sit by Otabek, but Yakov waved him over to the barrier. “Watch his footwork,” he said gruffly, eyes focused on Viktor. Yuuri stood by him and watched, but really, Viktor’s programs had been solid for weeks, there wasn’t much to say. Yakov for his part was shouting some directions at Georgi.

“Are you nervous?” Yakov asked suddenly. “About Nationals.”

Yuuri was a little surprised by the question but nodded, “Yes.”

“Good. Then you’re ready.” Yuuri looked at him and Yakov nodded towards the ice, “It might not look it, but Viktor’s nervous. All of them are. That’s why I’ve been holding Yuri back. He’s not nervous anymore. At least he wasn’t until he met you.

“I know you don’t understand why I help you, Vitya told me as much. It was selfish really. Yuri gets nervous at the thought of facing you. Vitya might be the best, but Yuri believes he can beat him. He’s unsure about you. So I want you to get to Worlds, because it’ll push Yuri further.”

“And Viktor will work harder if I go as well because he wants to impress me,” Yuuri surmised.

Yakov made a sound that could have been a laugh, “You’ve got him figured out, haven’t you.”

Yuuri smiled and shrugged.

“I’ll be with Viktor while you’re at Nationals, so give us a call if you have any troubles and we’ll help.”

Yuuri nodded, “Can I ask you something?”

Yakov nodded, but barked something at Viktor in Russian as he did before looking back at Yuuri.

“I’m not looking to make a move now, but once I’m done with school, if I asked, would you coach me?”

Yakov’s eyebrows rose but his mouth curled into the closest thing Yuuri had ever seen to a smile on his face. “I’m guessing you’re thinking you’ll want to relocate after you and Viktor are no longer classmates?”

Yuuri grinned and nodded as Yakov patted his shoulder. He didn’t say anything else, but Yuuri understood the silent acceptance in the gesture.

Viktor slid over to them then and asked Yakov something in Russian, he was very serious and Yuuri couldn’t help but appreciate this side of Viktor. He liked Viktor’s sunny personality, but at his heart Viktor was smart and hardworking, but so few people knew that.

“Yuuri, can you watch my spin? Something isn’t right about it.”

“Sure,” Yuuri smiled and Viktor smiled back before moving out and gaining a bit of speed before throwing himself into a spin.

“His free leg isn’t high enough, it’s throwing off his balance making him wobble,” Yuuri said softly to Yakov, who nodded, barking the instruction to Viktor in rapid Russian. Viktor tried the spin again and this time it was cleaner. Yuuri couldn’t help but cheer a bit, earning him a big grin from Viktor.

It was then that another skater slid by and scoffed, staring intently at Yuuri as he passed. Yuuri didn’t need anyone to tell him who the skater was as he saw Viktor stiffen and move towards them from across the rink. Yuuri tried to flash him a reassuring smile, but the large French skater was in the way.

“Move Durand,” Yakov barked. “You’re disrupting my skaters.”

The man’s brow furrowed, “So it’s true, you’ve taken on a Japanese Skater?”

Yuuri was going to correct him but Yakov cut him off, “Yes. He’s part of my team now, now get back to work.”

Viktor skidded up then and glared at the skater, moving between him and Yuuri, Georgi close behind him, forming a wall of solidarity.

Killian Durand grinned a bit cruelly at Viktor. “Must be pretty weak if you all are so protective of him.”

Viktor looked ready to bite back but Yuuri grabbed his forearm gently and looked up at the skater. “Feel free to keep thinking that; it’ll just make it that much easier for me to beat you at Worlds.”

The man laughed, “Ha, you weren’t even on the GPF circuit this year and you think you’ll beat me?”

“He will,” Viktor growled quietly.

There was a bark from the French coach and the skater left them with a cocky smile. Yakov was the first to speak in a quiet voice.

“All of you be sure to wipe that smirk off his face.”

“Da.” Three voices rang out and Viktor, Georgi and even Yurio, who apparently had moved right behind Yuuri during the confrontation, all spoke with determination.

“Hai,” Yuuri said softly. He couldn’t help but smile; this would be his team one day, he was sure of it.

 

Viktor’s practice time went by quickly after that, and then it was Yurio’s turn. Yuuri watched Michele with Sara and they both gave him advice on his presentation elements. Yuuri could tell that when his heart was in it, Michele’s presentation score could easily rival his own.

It seemed, however, that he was a bit hung up on Sara. The two of them had been friends for months and yet now, Yuuri could feel Michele watching him every time he looked away.

Yurio on the other hand seemed stronger than ever, and Yuuri couldn’t help but cheer for him after a particularly good step sequence, which made the younger skater curse at him and skate away with a slight blush on his cheeks.

Otabek chuckled from beside him, a look in his eyes that Yuuri couldn’t help but smile at.

“He works really hard, doesn’t he?” Otabek asked. “I’ve been watching Viktor for years, but there’s something about Yura.”

Yuuri nodded, “Yurio has a different sort of drive than Viktor and I.”

“He’s a soldier,” Otabek said softly. “Fighting a war alone.”

Yuuri paused and thought about it, “You might be right.”

Viktor eventually joined them, easily wrapping himself around Yuuri until Yurio’s practice was over. It didn’t take long before their group was assembled and ready for some sightseeing. They stopped at the hotel to drop off excess gear and pick up Makka, and then set off, walking along the river towards the more downtown area.

Eventually they found some bikes for rent. Yuuri was a bit worried Otabek wouldn’t have ridden one, but apparently he was as good on a bike as a broom. Their group sped down the city streets from there, following GPS instructions from a walking tour App Sara had found, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city.

They made sure to stop frequently, both for photos, and also to give Makka a break, though the Poodle seemed used to following a bike around, happily keeping pace with the group.

At one particularly interesting building, Yurio somehow ended up on Otabek’s shoulders to get the perfect angle, while at another Sara kissed Mila’s cheek in a photo causing the redhead’s cheeks to blush as brightly as her hair, and Michele to splutter for 5 minutes in what Yuuri could only surmise to be angry Italian. Chris for the most part just focused on looking fabulous, and took almost as many selfies per hours as Phichit did.

Yuuri and Viktor mostly just laughed and kept their photos calm, preferring just to watch their friends play around.

Around dinner time they decided to split up for a while, Georgi excitedly telling them Anya had agreed to dinner, Otabek and Yuuri wanting to go see some sports stadium, while Sara and Mila decided to appease Michele by all going to dinner together. Yuuri got the impression for a few overheard words that while Michele knew and accepted the wizards, he wasn’t totally comfortable with them.

“What do you want to do, Yuuri?” Viktor smiled as they slowly walked back towards the hotel from the bike rental. Makka was still happily keeping up but did look a bit worn out.

“Want to go to dinner, the three of us? I’m sure Chris has lots of great stories about you he’d be happy to share.

“Oh I love him already,” Chris slug his arm around Yuuri’s shoulders, “Let me tell you about this one time in Paris…”

“Chris!” Viktor chased after him, Makka bouncing happily alongside.

It turned out Chris knew a great restaurant just down the street that even had dog friendly meals, so they went straight there, grabbing a table in the corner so Makka could lie on the floor out of the way until they were able to procure him some sausages for dinner.

“You were at the World Cup, weren’t you?” Chris asked Yuuri while they ate.

Yuuri nodded, “I was the one who gave Viktor the flowers,” he pointed towards his head.

Chris grinned, “I thought so. Who would have guessed you were the same guy as in that video.”

Yuuri blushed, “Yeah, it’s pretty crazy, really.”

“So what are you studying to be?”

Yuuri thought about it for a moment, “I’m not entirely sure. I’ve thought about being a teacher, but I could also just go into coaching. Skating is my short term plan though.”

Chris nodded looking towards Viktor, “And I take it the new school is better than the last one?”

Viktor grinned, “It’s loads better Chris. The classes are great, the people are nice. We even had a dance party the other week and Yuuri danced for me. It was so cute.”

“I can imagine,” Chris said in a sultry tone. “Were you going there before Yuuri, or are you a Transfer like Viktor?”

“Transfer. My old school gave me a scholarship for the first five years, but doesn’t give them out for the last two. I guess they want to keep it exclusive. This was my only chance to continue my education. This schools’ better, I like it a lot more, and not just because it has a skating rink and Viktor’s there.”

“Though that helps, I’m sure,” Viktor said merrily.

Yuuri blushed but nodded.

“Aw, so cute,” Chris cooed.

By the time they finished dinner the others were all returning from their various pursuits, and soon the entire group ended up in Viktor’s room. Someone had borrowed a few decks of Uno cards from the front desk and soon a particularly vicious game had broken out.

“Draw Two mother fucker!” Yurio called out as he managed to turn the tables on Mila after Otabek had played a well timed Reverse.

Yuuri laughed as he leaned back into Viktor, enjoying the noise and energy of the room.

“This is how it always should be,” Viktor whispered in his ear.

Yuuri nodded and let himself be wrapped up in Viktor’s arms, not minding at all when the others accused them of collusion, especially when he stopped Viktor from winning the third game with a Draw Four he’d been careful to keep hidden.

“Yuuuuuri!” Viktor whined, “How could you?”

“Easy,” Yuuri whispered, with a teasing, seductive lilt to his voice. Viktor seemed distracted from then on which worked in Yuuri’s favor as he slowly worked his way to victory, cause a mix of cheers and curses of disbelief at the stealthy way he’d worked his way under the radar to the final win.

“It’s my M.O.,” Yuuri smiled as the others called it quits for the night, soon leaving he and Viktor alone.

“That bed must be really comfortable for Makka to have chosen it over our bed,” Viktor noted at they climbed into bed. Makka had fallen asleep almost immediately when they arrived back.

“He’s had a long exciting day, he’s earned a nice rest.”

“And what about me?” Viktor asked quietly, slowly slipping his arms around Yuuri’s waist. “I’ve worked very hard this week, have I earned a reward?”

Yuuri grinned as he softly kissed him, “Sure, you can have a nice rest too.”

Viktor whined but was pacified quickly by Yuuri’s fingers entwining into his hair, as their lips pressed together. Viktor’s grip on his waist grew tighter and Yuuri pressed forward, their bodies twisting together as both of them sought to illuminate any distance between them.

Viktor groaned and practically pulled Yuuri on top of him as Yuuri flicked his tongue against his lips, and soon their tongues were teasing each other’s in the now shared space of their mouths. Yuuri let out a small gasp when Viktor’s hands moved lower to his ass, pressing him forward. Yuuri might have been embarrassed by his reaction if Viktor’s own was clearly apparent, being pressed urgently against him.

“Viktor!” he moaned softly, practically panting in desire, carefully pulling away as a part of his mind screamed they needed to stop.

Viktor huffed a breath and leaned his head against Yuuri’s chest. It took a minute for them to calm down, but the quiet wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Viktor, can I ask you something?” Yuuri finally interrupted the silence.

“Of course.”

“I know said before it’s ok if we take our time, but did you mean it?”

He nodded, pulling Yuuri close in a comforting embrace, “Absolutely. I want you to be comfortable, and I’m not planning to let you go anytime soon, so I’m in no rush.”

Yuuri took a breath, “And when we do, um…how do you want…what role…” He blushed.

Viktor pressed a finger to his lips, thinking, “Hmm, well, I’ve only done it once but I was the bottom then. It wasn’t so much a choice as it just happened. I’m fine with either, and personally I think it would be most fun to switch back and forth, but if you prefer one over the other I’m fine with it.”

Yuuri shook his head, “I’m fine with whatever. I just want to make you feel good, when we do.”

Viktor grinned, “That’s all I want for both of us.” He sighed happily, slowly cuddling closer as they started drifting off to sleep.

“Will you watch me tomorrow?” Viktor breathed softly.

Yuuri kept his eyes closed, smiling sleepily, “I’m always watching, Vitya. I can’t take my eyes off of you.”

Viktor snuggled closer, “I’m going to win Yuuri, I will be the best there ever was someday.”

Yuuri smiled, “And I’ll be right beside you, happily chasing you.”

“I can’t wait to share the podium with you, but I don’t know how long you’ll be chasing me. Something tells me I’ll have to stay on my game to be better than you before long.”

Yuuri  chuckled softly, “Well, I have always looked good in gold.”

Viktor made a soft laugh and soon they were both asleep, happily thinking of the next day, and all the days after, wondering just where there adventure together would take them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I know I promised this chapter would be the GPF, and as you may have noticed, we never made it. As I was writing this is became extremely apparent it was going to become an absolutely monstrous chapter, and I just didn’t have time this week to write and edit a 20k word chapter. So I split it in two. The good news is that allows me to expand on a few scenes that I would have had to cut short. So let’s just consider this a bonus chapter. I’ve increased the total chapter count to reflect that.
> 
> The Skating Arena the GPF is being held in is the [Mercedes-Benz Arena](https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi83fuI89bTAhViwlQKHZM2DEMQPAgD#hl=en&q=mercedes-benz+arena+berlin+berlin,+germany) in Berlin, and the hotel is the [Holiday Inn](https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/berlin/berow/hoteldetail) just across the street which is actually a Pet friendly hotel. They also have some photos on their webpage of people playing Uno so I mean, I couldn’t NOT include that.
> 
> One final note, you no doubt noticed Yuuri and Viktor are getting a bit more intimate. They are going to continue to progress this relationship as the story moves along, however I’m going to keep the level of detail a bit vague in order to maintain the Teen rating (there is a deeper reason behind this that won’t be revealed to the very end).
> 
> However, I may feel that a sex scene is necessary for them, if that happens I will likely include it as a side story (M rated) and link to it (it will be optional and not include plot). Since Yuuri is 17, and that is still underage in many places, I want to keep that out of the main story. I think it’s an important part of their relationship, but I don’t want to make anyone already invested in the story feel uncomfortable if they don’t want to read those things.
> 
> Next week we will actually get to the competition. See you then!


	30. The Greatest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, get a snack, and settle in for a packed chapter as Viktor takes on the GPF! Thanks for reading and see you at the end!

Yuuri couldn’t help the tight feeling of nerves as the morning of the Short Programs dawned. Despite the fact he wasn’t competing, a part of himself was deeply invested in this competition and he felt a new appreciate for all the people who had supported him over the years.

“Hey Viktor,” he asked quietly as they ate breakfast on the couch, “Did you feel nervous before the Trophee?"

Viktor looked up, a bite of oatmeal halfway to his mouth, "A bit, why?"

Yuuri shrugged, not quite sure how to explain his feelings.

"Though most of my nerves were about your competition rather than my own," he said offhandedly, a soft smile on his lips. "I knew I would be ok. I only needed 3rd, and even on a bad day I could manage that at a competition like the Trophee, but that weekend was your first big competition since we'd met and I wanted to support you. I hated not being there for you."

Yuuri couldn't help but smile and leaned over and hugged Viktor, "So it's ok if I'm nervous now?"

Viktor hummed and hugged him back gently, "Absolutely, but don't worry too much. I find I rather like the sight of you kissing my Gold medal and I don't plan on missing out on the opportunity anytime soon."

Yuuri chuckled curling up beside Viktor as he ate until they were interrupted by a soft knock. Viktor got up and checked the door before making a quite noise of surprise and opening the door.

Yuuri could hear a familiar, soft voice, speaking rapid Russian from the hall as Viktor let what must have been Dr. Petrov into the room.

"Oh, you must be Yuuri," she said kindly. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Yuuri swallowed, "I'm alright, a little nervous for Viktor, but excited to see all his hard work pay off."

Viktor beamed, "I haven't been this excited for a competition in a long time."

The doctor smiled, sitting down on the couch where Makkachin happily greeted her, "How are you feeling about your competition?" she asked softly, her question clear, even if her words were not.

"I've mostly avoided him. He ignored me yesterday other than when he tried to challenge Yuuri, but Yakov and the team backed us up. It made me feel pretty good actually, having them all willing to be there for me, and for Yuuri. They all know how special he is for me."

She nodded, "They all care about you, and I think they can all see how much you've changed since meeting Yuuri, so they'd want to protect that. Yuuri, you should know you don't need to feel any pressure either. From what the others have told me, they all like you regardless of your relationship with Viktor. In fact I'm pretty sure if the two of you break up you'll get little Yuri in the break."

Viktor clutched his heart in mock pain, "Oh the betrayal!"

Yuuri giggled, "They all make me feel so welcomed; I just wish our Nationals weren't at the same time, I'll miss watching them all compete."

"Do you think you'll miss having them watch you?"

Yuuri nodded, "of course, but none of them have ever seen me compete before, so it's not that different."

"And yet it is," the doctor said softly and Yuuri couldn't help but nod.

"Yeah it is."

She smiled, "It's no different for them. Viktor was quite upset during the Trophee you wouldn't be there."

Viktor blushed but didn't deny it, "I'm really glad so many of my friends are here for this one though."

"Yes, I’m guessing that will help you move past your trauma as well." Viktor nodded, but the doctor continued, "Did you do the other thing we talked about?"

Viktor sighed, "I did, but I didn't get any response."

"How did you feel about that?"

"I don't know. Kind of shit, but kind of resolved."

She smiled softly, "I know it's difficult, but only time will tell. From what you've told me I don't think either you or your father are truly ready to walk away from your relationship. I know it's hard, but it's important to keep reaching out until you know how you feel."

Viktor sighed and looked up at Yuuri, "I invited my father to watch the Grand Prix. I never bothered trying to invite him before and I got to thinking about reaching out to him after we talked about him the other day."

Yuuri nodded, "I hope he comes."

Viktor smiled tightly, "I'm not sure what I want."

"Then that's what we should work on either way after the competition," Dr. Petrov said kindly. "For now I want to make sure you're able to handle the stress of being around your attacker."

Viktor stiffened, "he didn't attack me."

Dr. Petrov sighed, "Didn’t he? He got you drunk, and the he sent blackmail photos to your home. Even if we look past all that he's been verbally harassing you at competitions and via social media for months."

Yuuri looked up, he didn't know about that and Viktor grimaced, "I can ignore most of that."

"Maybe, but you shouldn't have to. You don't deserve that."

Viktor sighed, "I'm wondering if I should talk to him."

"Perhaps, but are you ready for that?"

Viktor shook his head.

Dr. Petrov reached over and squeezed his hand, "maybe you haven't handled this perfectly, but that's no excuse for his behavior. That has gone far beyond a reasonable reaction, and it does make him your attacker. You could easily press harassment charges against him."

"No, if I do that it'll get out."

She sighed and nodded, "I know, so this weekend I'm going to be available to you anytime. If he so much looks at you, come to me and we'll talk. Expressing your emotions will help, I promise."

Yuuri wasn't sure if it was alright for him to speak but he couldn't help himself, "I'll be with you the whole time too. I won't leave your side if you want. I'm not a doctor, but I can give you as many hugs as you need."

Viktor laughed softly and curled against Yuuri, and Yuuri wrapped him in a gentle embrace, "better?"

Viktor nodded, "yeah, this is a lot better."

Dr. Petrov smiled, "excellent. And from what I hear there are many others here ready to offer their own support. Now, I believe it's time for you to get ready to go to the rink. I don't think either of us wants to get on Yakov bad side today."

Viktor nodded, "will you be in the skaters area?"

Dr. Petrov smiled and pulled a coach's badge out of her jacket, "I'll be right there if you need me."

Viktor smiled, "thank you doctor."

She stood and gave Viktor a hug, "I'll see you boys at the rink in half an hour. And before you ask Viktor, you can't bring Makkachin."

"Boo," he whined.

She laughed and waved as she walked out of the door. Viktor's shoulders visibly relaxed and Yuuri stepped up behind him and slipped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder, "you ok?"

Viktor sighed and leaned back against him, "would it be weird to say this is the most ok I've been in years?"

Yuuri shook his head and squeezed Viktor tighter, planting a gentle kiss on the back of his head. They stood for another moment together before they both finished getting ready. After they both wished Makkachin goodbye they made their way downstairs, stopping at the front desk to ensure someone would check-up on Makka during the day.

They walked hand and hand to the stadium, both enjoying the late morning sun.

"Are you ready?" Yuuri asked.

Viktor thought about it for a moment, "I think so. My short program is tough. I have to expose so much of myself when I perform it, but I have to get into this hopeless mindset to do it."

"And you don't feel as hopeless anymore."

Viktor nodded.

"Then don't think of it as hopeless." Viktor looked at Yuuri, curiously. "Think of it with hope. If you show the devastation those emotions caused you, maybe it will save someone else, or maybe it will help someone finally express an emotion they've kept hidden."

Viktor smiled, "you always see things in such a surprising way." He lifted their joined hands and kissed Yuuri's knuckles as they entered the building. "Lets go change some hearts."

 

The rest of the day passed relatively smoothly. The junior men  skated before the seniors, allowing Yuuri and all his friends, minus yurio and Michele to rest in the stands as they watched the competition. During the women’s competition Yuuri and viktor made their way back stage into the skaters area so viktor could prep and warm-up. At Viktor’s insistence, Yuuri never left his side, even coming with him to the locker room to help him change into his costume.

There was a small moment of tension when the French skater entered the room, but with a look from Yuuri he stayed away, something smoldering behind his eyes as he went.

The moment unsettled Yuuri slightly, but Viktor never noticed the man’s presence as they left moments later, something which Yuuri was very glad for. The rest of the day was spent in out of the way hallways where Viktor stretched, warmed up, and went through his program, dancing out a few of the steps.

Georgi was skating first so Yakov was busy throughout most of this time with the other skater, leaving Yuuri and Viktor in the hands of Dr. Petrov. The doctor mostly stood silently at the end of the hallway, keeping reporters away as Yuuri helped Viktor with his motions, letting him know when an arm was too low, or his footwork wasn’t sharp enough.

It was a surprisingly calm afternoon.

By the time Yakov finished with Georgi, Viktor had reached an almost perfect level of mental preparation. He was clam and quiet, with just enough of an edge to keep him sharp. He was performing his last stretches with Yuuri, keeping his eyes closed and ear buds secured so he couldn’t hear the sounds around them.

Yakov nodded when it was time and Yuuri gently squeezed Viktor’s hands. He slowly opened his eyes as if coming out of a meditative state.

‘Ready?’ Yuuri mouthed to him.

Viktor smiled and nodded, slowly standing and turning towards Yakov. Yakov spoke to him quietly in Russian while he laced up his skates. Once they were secure Viktor took Yuuri’s hand and they made their way to the ice with Yakov flanking them.

If Yuuri had thought he was prepared for the feeling of entering the arena, he was wrong. The crowd was intense, screaming and cheering. Chris was currently on the ice and apparently doing very well based on the crowd’s reactions.

The music ended and the crowd roared. It took some time for Chris to make his way off the ice, but by the time he did Viktor was ready. The pair briefly hugged during the exchange, wishing each other good luck.

Viktor stepped onto the ice and took a long drink out of a bottle of water Yuuri was holding, as Yakov, rather comically, held a poodle shaped tissue holder for him.

“You know what to do, Vitya.” Yakov grumbled. Yuuri was surprised, expecting more of a pep talk, but this seemed enough for Viktor who was smiling. He leaned towards Yuuri and wrapped him in a hug.

“I’ll see you soon.”

Yuuri nodded, “I’ll be waiting.”

Chris’ scores were read out, and Yuuri clapped happily seeing Chris push himself to the front of the pack, barely edging out JJ. Viktor smiled and pushed off, sliding gracefully around the rink as the crowd went wild, cheering as he circled the rink, waving at the crowd in appreciation.

He took his position and Yuuri felt a shiver run down his spine as Viktor took a breath, settling into his stance, a calmness taking over his features.

The music began and Viktor was moving, dancing happily, so alive as he told his story. He went into his first jump and nailed it, causing Yakov to pump his fist slightly beside Yuuri. The action made Yuuri grin.

The program kept on, slowly devolving, telling the story of a child lost to the pains of abuse, and Viktor’s movements, while still beautiful, grew chaotic, the flurry of them causing emotions to swirl within Yuuri as he saw Viktor’s story before him. He felt tears spring to his eyes and viktor flung himself into that final spin, twirling so fast that he was a mere blur, before collapsing onto the ice into a ball, his body visibly screaming out the pain in his heart.

The crowd went crazy, but none of it compared to Yuuri’s own cheers. Viktor picked himself up and bowed gratefully to the judges and the audience before skating quickly towards the exit. Yakov wrapped him in a hug before handing him off to Yuuri. Viktor held him close, whispering in Russian words Yuuri didn’t know, but could understand nonetheless. He whispered back his own words of love in Japanese, until Yakov cleared his throat, and ushered them to the Kiss and Cry.

Viktor blew his nose and wiped his eyes as they walked from the ice, grabbing Yuuri’s hand when he was done. They sat in the booth, Yakov quietly speaking to Viktor; Yuuri could tell they were notes but the mood was relaxed. Someone dropped off Viktor’s gifts that had been on the ice and he affectionately cooed at an adorable poodle plush, handing it to Yuuri who made sure to animatedly play with the toy. Viktor grabbed another and they played with them together, making the dogs kiss. Soon they were laughing and giggling so hard they almost missed the announcement of the scores.

It was only a point and a half lower than Viktor’s world record. They all made a noise of disappointment at being so close to a new record. Yuuri saw on the replays the small step out he’d had on a jump that Yuuri hadn’t noticed when he’d been watching. He’d been so caught up in the program he hadn’t cared.

The French skater was taking the ice, the last to skate as his victory over Viktor at the Trophee put him in first coming into the competition. It was unlikely based on his previous scores this season he’d overtake Viktor, but Yuuri still worried. Viktor was pulled into interviews in which Yuuri stayed back from, Yakov moving closer. Yuuri heard a few reporters ask about him but Yakov waved them off.

Viktor seemed a master at handling the press, expressing his own disappointment that he hadn’t beat his own record, expressing excitement for the next day, comfortable with his chances to win the competition.

Yuuri’s eyes were drawn to the screen where Killian was skating. Yuuri had seen the program before, but he could tell the skater had improved it, upgrading a few of his jumps. He was a power skater whose focus was on big jumps and strength. He didn’t surprise people so much as he continued to pound at their expectations.

He was doing it again tonight.

Yuuri tugged Yakov’s sleeve and for a moment Yakov looked confused, but seeing Yuuri’s gaze he seemed to understand, ending the interviews, promising more the following day and moved them to a private area of the skater’s area.

“Yakov, what is it?” Viktor asked confused.

Yuuri answered before Yakov could, “Durand is going to beat your score.”

Viktor’s eyes narrowed and he looked to the screen, “Will he beat my record?”

On the screen Yuuri noticed the first mistake, a sloppy footwork sequence and breathed deeply, “No, he won’t, but he’ll be in first.”

Viktor nodded watching the screen, removing his skates and starting his cool down stretches. Within a few minutes it was official, Viktor was in second by just 3 tenths of a point.

Yakov didn’t seem worried. Georgi was in fifth and Viktor was in second. Chris and JJ were between them, making Georgi’s task of reaching the podium much more challenging than Viktor’s of claiming gold from just a fraction of a point deficit.

Yuuri felt a little bad for the Chinese skater who had done quite well, but was firmly in last place. No one was paying much attention to him, at least he thought so until they were on their way out and Viktor made it a point to stop and chat with the skater, commenting on a part of the skate Yuuri was sure Viktor hadn’t seen. By the end of the competition the skater, who looked a little star struck, was smiling and greeting Yuuri as Viktor happily introduced them.

“I had no idea you were so friendly with the other skaters,” Yuuri said softly as they made their way across the field to the hotel.

“I didn’t use to be. After last year though,” he sighed, “I don’t know, a lot’s changed. “

Yuuri smiled and intertwined their fingers. They were quiet for most of the rest of the night, eating dinner while watching some show on television neither of them actually watched.

When they finally laid down to sleep Viktor curled up close and buried his face in Yuuri’s shoulder.

“Vitya,” Yuuri purred.

He could feel Viktor smile against the skin at his neck, “I really like when you call me that.”

“Should I use it all the time then?”

Viktor didn’t answer, but Yuuri could practically feel his blush as he snuggled closer. Yuuri chuckled and whispered softly, “Goodnight, Vitya.”

 

Viktor looked completely determined by breakfast the next morning. He varied between moments of quiet seriousness, and quiet affection to Yuuri, seeming to favor curling up together more than anything. Yuuri thought they’d probably have spent the entire day curled up in bed together if not for Yurio’s competition, which was second that day. Viktor’s skate would be the second to last of the day, so there was quite a gap between them. Yuuri had suggested Viktor stay back and rest, but he wouldn’t hear it.

“I want to support him,” he said stubbornly.

Yuuri tapped his foot, “what’s the ratio of wanting to support Yurio verses wanting to stay close to me?”

“80/20.”

Yuuri raised an eyebrow.

“60/40.”

Yuuri smirked.

“30/70,” Viktor admitted sheepishly and Yuuri had smiled, pulling him into a long hug.

“Let’s go watch Yurio, we can slip away for a nice quiet lunch after he skates.”

Viktor had liked the sound of that, chanting in a sing-song voice about having a date with Yuuri.

They got down to the Arena to see the others had alright arrived. Sara and Mila were helping Michelle warm-up, while Otabek, predictably, was with Yurio.

“Oi, Katsudon!” He shouted when he spotted them, “Check my form for me.”

He started going through one of his more difficult sections, feet moving so lightly he almost looked like he was on ice, rather than in a dim back hallway. Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as he corrected his arm position.

They remained with Yurio until the first Junior competitor took the ice. It was unlikely anyone would unseat Yurio, but Yuuri at least wanted to watch Michele who would likely come in second. Silver at the Grand Prix Final was no small feat, and he was proud of his friend for his hard work. Sara and Mila were already in the stands saving them seats.

“Good luck, Yurio!” they called as they headed for the stairs.

“That’s not my name!” he hissed back at them.

The three teens laughed and headed for the stairs. Yuuri hadn’t had this much fun in a long time and was practically giddy. Viktor was poking at Otabek, asking about how his crush was going, teasing the Kahzak about needing some cat toys for his kitten. Yuuri just chuckled absentmindedly, which is probably why he lagged behind the other two a few steps, and why his footing slipped just as he hit the top stair.

Everything was suddenly moving very slowly. He was falling backwards, vaguely aware of that dropping sensation as his body pitched backwards down the long flight of stairs. He knew from all of his years of jump training that he needed to protect his head when he fell, but he was too disoriented to even begin to do that as he flew towards the hard concrete below. He could hear Viktor and Otabek scream, as they both tried to reach him, knowing that they wouldn’t make it, he braced for impact.

Only he didn’t crash down.

He looked around. He was floating. He snapped his head to the top of the stairs and saw Viktor’s eyes wide, wand out as he slowly lowered Yuuri to the ground, breathing heavily as he did. Otabek’s hand was also on his own wand, just a few milliseconds slower to react than Viktor.

His back gently landed on the ground and Viktor sprinted carefully down the steps collapsing on him, “Oh my God, Yuuri! Are you ok? I was so scared I didn’t know if I could catch you…”

Yuuri held him, “Shh, it’s ok Viktor, you got me, you did good. Thank you.”

Otabek looked shaken too as he carefully checked Yuuri to make sure he was ok, “Thank God Viktor was so fast, I wouldn’t have made it.”

“What…What just happened?”

Yuuri’s blood ran cold as he slowly turned, feeling Viktor’s hands shake as they looked and saw Yurio, standing at the doorway to the stairwell, staring, eyes wide, flicking between Yuuri and Viktor’s wand which was still out.

Viktor cursed and stashed his wand back in his jacket. Otabek stood and made for Yurio and for one dreadful moment Yuuri knew what was going to happen.

“Wait!” he cried.

Otabek stopped, looking back at him, “Yuuri, we have no choice.”

Yuuri stood, shrugging off Viktor who was too stunned to move, and reached towards Otabek’s wand, forcing him to lower it. “I think we can trust Yurio. He’s our friend; he’s bound to figure it out eventually. I think we should just tell him.”

“Yuuri we can’t,” Otabek looked heartbroken.

“You can’t,” Viktor finally stood, “but I can.”

Yurio was still gaping, “What the hell is going on, Viktor?”

“Yurio,” Viktor’s voice was harsh, with an authority Yuuri had never heard before, but Yurio seemed familiar with based on the look that crossed his face upon hearing it.

“Viktor…” Yurio whispered, fear laced within the word.

“I’m a wizard, Yurio.”

Yurio blinked, “You…you’ve completely cracked, haven’t you?”

“No, I haven’t.” Viktor sighed, “I’ve never been more serious in my life Yuratcka. I’m a wizard, that’s how I was able to save you from that car when you were ten. That’s why my hair grows even when I cut it all off. Pretty much anything weird about me that I know you’ve noticed over the years is because I’m a wizard.”

Yurio stared, “No way.”

Yuuri nodded, “It’s true, Yurio.”

Yurio’s head snapped, “You too Katsudon?”

“Yes.”

Yurio blinked and looked at Otabek, “And you?”

Otabek paused for a moment before sighing, “Yes, me too.”

Yurio looked around for a second, seeming to try and sort through too many thoughts as they battered his mind. He bit his lip and looked up, “Prove it.”

Viktor scoffed, “Because levitating Yuuri wasn’t enough for you?”

Otabek however just stepped forward and softly spoke, “Expecto Patronum.”

A large misty shape slipped out of his wand, slowly forming up into a large, sleek Lynx. “And before either of you say anything, it’s been that form since I was 14,” Otabek growled. He then turned to Yurio, slowly directly the cat to circle the teen, nuzzling against him. “Don’t worry, she won’t hurt you. She’s a protective spell that just happens to take this form.”

Yurio stood shocked, hands moving to touch the Patronus, emotions clearly flickering between wonder, awe, amazement, fear, and confusion. He slowly looked up, “Can you guys do this too?”

Yuuri and Viktor looked at each other before both pulling out their wands and casting their Patronuses, sending the Penguin and Seal to join the Lynx. Yurio gaped, slowly coming to himself, “So, those are wands?”

“Yes,” Viktor said softly.

“And you cast magic with them?”

“That’s right,” Yuuri answered.

“Do you fly on brooms too?”

Otabek chuckled, “Yes, and in the interest of honesty, you should know I don’t play Rugby. I play a Wizard sport that’s done entirely on brooms called Quidditch.”

Yurio looked impressed, like he had a thousand more questions to ask, but was interrupted by Viktor’s phone beeping a notification. The sudden noise caused all three Patronuses to blink out of existence as the three wizards were suddenly reminded that this was not the place for prolonged displays of their flashiest magic.

“Yakov’s looking for you,” Viktor sighed as he looked at his phone.

Yurio cursed.

Yuuri smiled, “We can tell you more later, Yurio, but you have to understand, this is a secret we could get in a lot of trouble for telling you. You cannot tell anyone, ever. Can we trust you?”

Yurio looked up at him before slowly nodding and whispering, “That’s not my name, Katsudon.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh and Viktor slowly moved towards Yurio, sliding his wand back into his pocket. Yurio watch the movement with caution.

“Thank you, Yurio,” Viktor whispered, slowly wrapping him in a hug.

There was a momentary pause where Yurio seemed too stunned to move before he suddenly struggled, “Gross! Get off me old man! Just because you told me this doesn’t mean you can be hugging me!”

Viktor laughed, “That’s more like it. Now go get your Gold, Yurio. You’re supposed to be challenging me, can’t do that if you can’t even beat a couple of Juniors now can you?”

Yurio narrowed his eyes and started shouting at Viktor in what Yuuri was sure was very inappropriate Russian, based on the way Viktor and Otabek were both laughing. He eventually calmed down before nodding at them and storming away.

They all let out a sigh of relief.

“Yuuri!” Viktor surged forward and hugged him, “I was so scared. I thought you were going to get hurt. I’m so glad I caught you.” He said all of this very fast, peppering Yuuri’s face with kisses, his hands fluttering over Yuuri’s body.

Otabek sighed, “Your old man is going to kill you Viktor. You did magic in front of a Muggle and then told him what you are.”

Yuuri looked up, “Didn’t we all do magic?”

Viktor sighed and carefully took Yuuri’s hand as they made their way, cautiously, back up the stairs. “You two only did magic after I spilled the beans. They won’t be happy with it, but ultimately I’ll be responsible. It was my spell and my mess to clean up.”

Yuuri bit his lip.

“I’m surprised they haven’t gotten here yet,” Otabek huffed.

“They’ll go to my dad first,” Viktor said timidly.

Yuuri looked at him, “What does that mean for you?”

Viktor shrugged, “I don’t know.”

The quietly made their way to the stands and Viktor pulled Yuuri into the seats behind Sara and Mila who looked at them curiously. Otabek slid in beside Mila and quietly whispered the story to the girls, whose eyes both went wide. Sara started to turn to talk to Viktor, but with a look from Yuuri she remained quiet.

Eventually Michele skated and their group all cheered hard for him as he threw down a stunning performance. Sara was so happy she ended up racing down the stairs and practically tackling her brother in the Kiss and Cry, much to the amusement of most of the crowd.

Viktor’s eyes however, were glued on Yurio. He was standing at the edge of the rink, listening to Yakov, looking unusually compliant.

Michele’s scores were announced and they were outstanding, easily putting him in first place.

“Yurio should have no problem beating that,” Viktor spoke quietly.

“But will he?” Mila asked in a low tone.

Viktor sighed, “I hope so. He’s tough. I just hope I didn’t mess up his chances.”

Yurio slid around the ice taking a series of deep breathes, and for one moment Yuuri worried for him, but the moment he took his starting position on the ice Yuuri couldn’t help but smile.

“He has the eyes of a soldier,” Otabek whispered, a smile flirting on his lips.

The music began and any doubt they’d had was swept away as Yurio threw down what could only be called a masterful performance. Yuuri noted several elements that he’d upgraded the difficulty on, nailing each one after another.

This program could easily podium in the Seniors.

He felt a squeeze of his hand and gazed at Viktor who had a tears in his eyes. Yuuri quickly pulled him close, “It’s ok. Yurio is strong.”

“I was just so afraid…” Viktor whispered.

“I know, I was too. But I think we can trust Yurio with this.”

Viktor nodded and laughed, “And it doesn’t seem like I’m going to be arrested just yet.”

Otabek nodded, “I don’t see your father either.”

Mila shuddered at the thought, “Want me to ask my parents if they’ve heard anything?”

Viktor shook his head, “Don’t bother, there’s no sense worrying over it now. He tends not to bother me when I’m at events, I’m sure he’ll just insist I visit home next weekend.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Yuuri offered without even bothering to think about the feasibility of such a proposition.

Viktor smiled reassuringly, “It’s ok. I need to talk to him anyways. I can’t handle him.”

The music ended and Yurio stood at center ice, panting hard. Yuuri couldn’t help but to stand up and scream as loud as he could, and before he knew it all four of them were racing backstage and following in Sara’s footsteps as they all jumped on Yurio in the Kiss and Cry, Yakov shouting at them in Russian, and Yurio sputtering like and angry cat in a bath, but they were all so happy they couldn’t help but laugh and cry a bit as they hugged him.

The announcers voice silenced them as the entire team stilled to stare at the screen. For a second none of them reacted as they tried to process the score. Yuuri knew Yurio was good enough to compete in the Seniors, but he didn’t perform any Quads, and yet this score…

Viktor was screaming in Russian and pulling Yurio into a hug while Mila had crushed the two of them even tighter together. Finally Yuuri’s mind kicked into gear again and he screamed, “Yurio!” and jumped on the teen who screamed “That’s not my name!” as a furious blush and a few tears slipped onto his face.

Yurio was a monster, unbeatable in the Juniors for over a year, and yet this win clearly meant more to him than any others. Maybe it was because he knew it was his last, or because he was surrounded by friends; whatever the reason, Yuuri couldn’t help but be proud of his young friend.

Yakov soon pulled Yuri over the press pool, where they were swarmed by cameras. Questions were fired at them from all angles. Yuuri and Viktor stood back and just smiled, watching Yurio get the attention he truly deserved.

 

By the time Yurio escaped from the press, Viktor was already deep into his warm-ups, stepping onto the ice for his group warm-up.

“Help me with my cool down stretches,” Yurio grumbled at him as Viktor skated away.

“But shouldn’t…”

“Beka and Yakov are there, it’ll be fine.”

Yuuri shrugged inwardly and followed the teen, soon he was helping to push Yuuri into his stretches, making sure his muscles were well taken care of after a hard day of skating.

“You were at Worlds,” Yurio commented flatly. Yuuri just nodded.

Yuuri looked around for a second before whispering, “Did you know Viktor was like you then?”

“No. I had no idea.”

“If he wasn’t, would you have told him?”

Yuuri smiled, “Well, I’m not sure how we would have met and become friends, but yes, eventually I would have. Especially now that we’re dating.”

Yurio nibbled on his lip, “They why did Viktor never tell me? We’ve been friends for years?”

Yuuri sighed, “Everyone is different. Our relationship to it all, everyone has different experiences. Otabek is pretty comfortable in it, but Viktor and I are both a bit on the outside. I was always a bit sad about it, whereas Viktor was more angry. He told me he planned to quit it.”

Yurio’s eyes grew wide, “Really? What changed?”

Yuuri thought about it, “School, friends; he told me what you saw last spring, I have to think that helped settle his heart a bit. He always told me he’d need to tell you soon, but he never sounded worried like you might not accept him.”

“Of course not. He’s an annoying, gross, old man, but I don’t care if he’s a bit different.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but grin, “So you don’t mind that I’m different?”

Yurio made a grunt, “I already knew you were different; you put up with the old man after all.”

Yuuri laughed, but grew silent as some other thoughts came to mind, “Are you definitely moving up at Nationals?”

Yurio nodded, “Yakov called some of the assistants after the interviews, they’re submitting the paperwork now, we should be able to announce in a day or two.”

“Wow.” Yuuri paused, “Are you nervous?”

Yurio looked up, a defiant look on his face, but still, Yuuri could see something else there.

Yuuri nodded, “You know I’m trying for Worlds right?”

“You’d better make it to. I want a rematch.”

Yuuri chuckled, “Do you really think we have a chance?”

Yurio rolled his eyes, “Well maybe you don’t, but I’m going to wipe the floor with you and stupid Viktor.” He paused, and then in small voice, “My program has a lot of upgrades I can do. Yakov created it with Seniors in mind. Normally people like us would stand no chance at the podium, or even the top ten, but we both have two quads, so I think we can be competitive.”

Yuuri sighed, “I just worry, this is my first time, and I have so little competition experience.”

Yurio kicked his shin, “Idiot. That’s how you lose, doubting yourself. You do realize you’re the only one whose beat me in over a year, right?”

Yuuri blinked, he hadn’t even thought about that.

“Viktor thinks Nationals are in the bag for him, but I’m going to give it everything I got. Don’t go making me look bad by beating yourself before we even get there.”

Yuuri smiled, he was about to carry-on when Viktor pounced on him, “Yuuri, stop ignoring me for Yurio, it’s almost time!”

Yuuri chuckled and squeezed his boyfriend’s hand, “We were just talking, Vitya.”

“Yeah,” Yurio replied grumpily. “I’m coming up to your room tonight, so don’t go out or plan any sort of gross celebration with Katsudon.”

Viktor smirked, “Fine fine. I’ll save the gross celebrations for after you leave.”

“You will?” Yuuri squeaked, making Yurio gag and Viktor laugh.

Soon the competition was underway; Yurio and Otabek headed for the stands but Yuuri stayed with Viktor, again, helping him warm-up. He’d done so much stretching himself that day he almost felt ready to skate. It’d been 3 days since he’d been on the ice and he missed it.

Before Yuuri knew it the first skater was finished and Viktor was pulling Yuuri towards the ice. He needed to keep warming-up, but he wanted to see at least a few minutes of Georgi’s performance. They camped out a spot closer to the televisions and Viktor jogged and bounced in place as Georgi took the ice.

JJ was nearby doing his final warm-ups in the corner, ready to move out to the ice any minute, and Chris lingered nearby, moving closer to the television to watch the feed. The air was thick with anticipation.

Georgi started skating, and all of the skaters watched with rapt attention. Georgi was such a balanced skater, powerful jumps mixed well with his expressive performances. He just wasn’t _as_ strong as someone like JJ or Durand, he wasn’t _as_ expressive as Viktor or Chris, who were by no means weak when it came to their jumps or spins. Not to mention both Chris and Viktor had noticeably grown since Worlds, both growing into larger, stronger forms. Yuuri could tell they would be tough leaders of the sport before long.

“He’s trying too hard,” JJ muttered, “he’s trying to be Viktor and not himself.”

Viktor and Chris both nodded.

“He has his own strengths, he just needs to accept them and push them,” Chris’ eyes were sharp as they watched the program.

“If he figures it out, my place as the best in Russia will be in jeopardy,” Viktor responded easily, without shame. Yuuri could tell he believed it, but he wasn’t about to roll over for anyone, not Yurio or Georgi, and not Yuuri. It was one of the things he loved about Viktor.

JJ grinned, “Well I guess it’s my turn to take your spot, JJ style will dominate Viktor style every time.” He smiled at Chris and Viktor who both laughed good naturedly, wishing him luck when a rude snort range through the air.

Killian was watching them, a smug look on his face. “You think Viktor is even worth taking note of? How stupid must Russians be if their chasing him. His only talent is being a little bitch.”

He kept talking, but switched to French. Yuuri had a feeling what he was saying though. Killian’s eyes had darted at Yuuri and Chris and Viktor both looked furious. To all of their surprise though, it was JJ who spoke up, stepping forward, taller and larger than any of the others, spitting something into Durand’s face in angry French that had both Viktor and Chris’ mouth’s falling open.

Officials were separating them, moving Durand back to his coach, and ushering JJ to the ice. Some woman was trying to move Chris, Viktor, and Yuuri to the other side of the room. Viktor huffed and began running back and forth down the small hall off the side of the room.

“What did he say?” Yuuri whispered to Chris.

Chris blinked and frowned, “Yuuri I don’t…”

“Tell me Chris. I know he was talking about me.”

Chris sighed, “He asked if Viktor had sucked your cock yet, and…I don’t want to repeat it. He insinuated that you probably couldn’t satisfy a cock slut like him.”

Yuuri felt himself practically shake with rage, he didn’t care what was said about him, but how dare he call Viktor such things after…

“Yuuri!” Viktor was suddenly in his face shaking him, pulling him to a corner. “Yuuri, calm down,” he hissed in Yuuri’s ear. “Your magic, you’re losing control.”

That woke Yuuri up and his eyes snapped to Viktor in panic, all rage disappearing. He gaped at Viktor a second, breathing hard to stay in control.

Viktor waved Chris off as he came to make sure they were ok and wrapped Yuuri in his arms. “I don’t care what he called me,” Viktor whispered. The under lying note that made his meaning clear; Viktor was furious, but not about what Durand had said about him.

“Chris was paraphrasing wasn’t he?” Yuuri whispered.

Viktor nodded, “It was disgusting. He’s lucky no officials heard, he’d be thrown out.”

“It was that bad?”

Viktor nodded, “I wouldn’t be surprised if someone who _did_ hear doesn’t lodge a complaint.” Viktor paused before spitting out, “It was really racist.”

Yuuri didn’t know what to think about that. Hurt a little maybe, but then again he didn’t know exactly what was said so it was hard to feel much emotion about it.

“I don’t want to report it,” Viktor said softly. “If I do it’ll get out. I don’t want people repeating it.”

Yuuri nodded, “I understand.”

Viktor stared into his eyes as if to make sure he really was ok with it and smiled, “JJ was amazing though. I’m glad you always pushed me to befriend him.”

“What did he say?”

Viktor giggled, “Go fuck yourself. Why don’t you pick a fight with someone your own size, or did you forget how bad I beat your ass at the Rostelcom you spineless douche bag.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh, “If that’s what JJ style is I’m all for it.”

“I know! I might get a t-shirt. I’d look very cute as a JJ girl, don’t you think?”

Yuuri giggled and leaned against Viktor, “Make sure you beat him so bad today he can’t even smile on the podium. Prove to him who is the real Champion.”

Viktor smiled, “Oh I plan too.”

Yuuri grinned, “Good, because my boyfriend’s the most amazing person in the world.”

“Not as amazing as my boyfriend,” Viktor whispered.

Soon the buzz around the room settled and Yakov came stomping over, obviously having heard about the incident from someone. He seemed ready to kill as he came to check up on Viktor, but calmed immediately when he saw Viktor and Yuuri calmly talking as Viktor finished the last of his stretches.

They were soon moved to the ice as Chris’ program finished, and the moment his scores were announce, Viktor was on the ice, reaching over the barrier to hug Yuuri. Yuuri had been prepared to give him some sort of pep talk, but he realized that Viktor’s whole body felt calm, and as he skated towards center ice, Yuuri thought he’d never seen Viktor look so serine.

“Yes.” Yakov mumbled. “He’s ready. Watch this Katsuki. You don’t want to miss it.”

And Yuuri did watch; from the first note Viktor’s body was like a paint brush, slowly painting the most gorgeous picture, his story flowing so easily from him. Every jump, every spin; they all accent his every emotion, and soon Yuuri was captured in the story, so moved he didn’t dare look away.

It wasn’t till right at the end, as Viktor neared his final jump, that Yuuri became aware of the audience, because Viktor didn’t do a single Quad Toe Loop, but switched to a Quad Flip – Triple Toe Loop combo which had the whole arena going crazy. Even Yakov looked stunned. The Flip, which only Viktor could do, twice in one program, a second in the last seconds of his program as a combo! Yuuri tried to calculate the points in his head, giving up the moment Viktor struck his final pose, because he really didn’t care about points.

All he cared about was Viktor. Viktor who was the most amazing skater in the world. Viktor, who he more and more knew that he loved.

The seconds where Viktor bowed to the judges and the audience felt like hours, until he turned and with no hesitation sprinted to Yuuri, practically leaping off the ice into his arms. In fact, Yuuri was fairly sure if Yakov hadn’t been there they would have fallen.

Viktor was whispering to him in Russian, French and English, his words getting so jumbled Yuuri didn’t even try to understand or respond, his own mind so overwhelmed with the words he wanted to say that English wasn’t enough.

Yakov shoved them down onto the bench in the Kiss and Cry and Yuuri honestly couldn’t remember how he got there. Viktor’s words seemed to have finally come back to him as he whispered over and over, “I did it, I did it.”

“I know,” Yuuri whispered back. “You were amazing.”

They reluctantly pulled apart and smiled and waved to the camera, playing with some of the gifts together until finally the voice over the speakers drew their eyes to the screens where the score flashed in front of their eyes.

Yuuri stared. Those numbers, they couldn’t be…he blinked and there it was, with the words World record flashing for the third time in that year. He turned, stunned beyond words, to try and find the words to say to congratulate Viktor.

But any he might have had dried in his throat as he looked at Viktor’s face. He was beyond overjoyed with tears in his eyes, and Yuuri found himself wrapping his arms around him, slowly and softly kissing him.

Viktor blinked for a second before pulling him closer and kissing him back even harder. Yuuri could hear a roar in the crowd, and Yakov didn’t seem overly pleased, but he didn’t care. Viktor was his, and everyone knew it.

 

Despite the fact that, as Yuuri now knew, the Instagram pictures his friends had sent out on his birthday had thousands of likes, this rather public action seemed to confirm what everyone had suspected, and now the media was swarming all over them, asking Viktor a slew of questions.

Fortunately Yakov kept them on topic, only allowing questions about skating as Yuuri and Viktor stood together, both a bit teary eyed, as Viktor answered question after question about his performance. Yuuri watched Durand’s performance out of the corner of his eye just in case again, but it was clear there wouldn’t be an upset today.

Durand was in the middle of a colossal meltdown, barely keeping his jumps in check, even popping one of them. By the end he looked furious.

When the score was announced a groan rolled through the stadium as the powerhouse skater missed the podium to the Canadian upstart by a fraction of a point. The groan was soon replaced by a roar as the Canadian fans realized their young skater had managed a major upset. The Russians of course were losing their minds in the knowledge that their skaters had claimed gold at both the Junior and Senior levels. And of course, the Swiss were not to be outdone in their joy.

The skaters area was no less calm as Durand had slammed a hand into a locker before storming out, and Viktor, Chris, and JJ were suddenly swarmed by cameras. Yuuri laughed as JJ, who was nearly in tears he was so excited, shaped his fingers into his goofy ‘JJ Style’ gesture and declared himself king, only to be sworn at in French by both Chris and Viktor.

The podium was gleeful as it was dominated by such a young contingent of skaters. Viktor was beyond delighted and soon the photos took a silly turn, with the three teens pulling silly faces with their medals, earning several barks of disapproval from their coaches. Soon Viktor was pulling the others skaters and Yuuri in for larger group shots, even pausing for a moment to talk with the sixth place finisher. “You did so well for your first time! You should work on your spins more, they are really strong!” he told the man who looked just a bit star struck.

Yuuri had made sure to kiss Viktor again after that, not that he was jealous or anything…

Finally things died down enough that their friends were allowed down to the ice and soon they were surrounded by hugs from everyone. The ladies competition was set to begin shortly however, necessitating their need to get out of the way.

Sara and Mila headed to the stands to watch, while Georgi, Chris and JJ went to change and get back to the hotel. It was a bit after dinner time and most of the skaters were famished.

Yurio insisted they get food and eat it in Viktor and Yuuri’s room so they could talk, and soon the four were making their way along the backstage hallways, looking to make a quiet exit, Viktor still wearing his gold medal and quietly whispering in Yuuri’s ear that he could kiss it as soon as they were alone.

They rounded the corner when they came to an abrupt halt as a man appeared in front of them.

“Again Viktor?” he said with an exasperated sigh. “You would think you’d have learned your lesson after the last one.”

 “Papa?” Viktor whispered and Yuuri’s head snapped back to study the man. “You’re here!”

“Of course! You performed magic in front of a Muggle, you think I wouldn’t find out?”

He brandished a letter from a coach pocket and Yuuri felt Viktor stiffen.

                _To Mr. Alexei Nikiforov,_

_Please be advised that at 1:30pm local time, Berlin, your son, Viktor Nikiforov, performed a levitation charm in the presence of a Muggle. This is a serious violation of the International Statute of Secrecy._

_We trust you will handle the situation and see no need for further punishment of Viktor at this time, but please impress upon him the seriousness of this situation. It is unlikely he will find such leniency in the future._

Yuuri’s heart sank.

“He had no choice, Uncle,” Otabek cut in, almost seeming to hide Yurio behind him. “Yuuri fell down the stairs; he could have been seriously hurt if Viktor hadn’t used magic. I tried to too but I wasn’t fast enough.”

Alexei glared at him, for a moment before spotting Yurio. “I suppose this is the Muggle? I should wipe his memory now. I can’t believe neither of you could even manage that.”

“No!” Yuuri yelled, stepping in front of Yurio, which was tricky because both Viktor and Otabek had already placed themselves between Alexei and Yurio. “Yurio is our friend. We trust him. None of us want to hide from him!”

“That’s not your decision to make you gold digger! What will YOU be blackmailing me for? Money? Fame?”

He turned towards Viktor, “How could you be so stupid? This brat is practically a Muggle, and so poor he couldn’t even afford his tuition. Of course only a sty like Hogwarts would take trash like him! But you just fall for this same thing again. What is wrong with you?”

Viktor and Otabek surged forward, but were both cut short by tiny Yurio burst from between them and throwing himself right in Alexei’s face.

“Don’t talk about Katsudon that way, asshole! Just because you’re poor doesn’t make you greedy, or worth less than some rich bastard like you! He’s a way better person than you, or maybe you don’t remember what Viktor was like back then when his hair was all jacked up? Because I do. I know what you did to him!

“And you probably don’t know or care what happened last spring, but I do, because once again you weren’t there and I was! I was there when your son was cutting his own hair off just to try and hold himself together! Where were you then asshole? You think you have any right to tell him what to do? To judge Yuuri?”

“Ever since Yuuri’s been around Viktor’s been totally different. They’re gross and I wish they’d quit hanging all over each other, but they make each other better so don’t you fucking dare talk down to Yuuri! He’s a better man, or person or wizard or whatever the fuck you think you are!”

They all stared at him in shock. Maybe it was because he didn’t know better, but this tiny 15 year old had just stood up to an admittedly powerful wizard without batting an eye.

Alexei was glaring daggers, before speaking in a deathly quiet tone, “This is hardly the place to discuss such things. We’ll talk when you get home for the holidays.”

“I’m not coming home Papa,” Viktor said softly, his hand clinging to Yuuri’s. “I’m going to Yuuri’s home. His parents invited me.”

Alexei’s eyes flared. “You don’t even…”

“I’m and adult now and you made it clear when I went to Hogwarts you didn’t wish to see me again. I’ve already taken over the lease on my apartment, I’m not coming home again father.”

Alexei looked like he might explode, “Well then, if that’s how you want it, I’ll let you clean up your own mess next time.”

“Don’t you even care?!” Viktor screamed, tears brimming in his eyes. “I just won gold, my second major gold, Papa. You didn’t care about my Worlds gold either, but this…this one proves I’m the best. Don’t you even care?!”

Alexi stared coldly, “Why would I care about a Muggle achievement? Your mother was the one who supported that nonsense; amount to something as a wizard and we’ll talk. Goodbye Viktor.”

Tears fell from Viktor’s eyes as he watched his only family leave him behind, all Yuuri could do was wrap him in his arms as Yurio cursed at Alexei’s retreating form.

 

That night their group is noticeably quieter. Yuuri and Otabek spent much of the evening explaining wizardry to Yurio, who listened with keen interest. Viktor mostly sat and stared into space, only picking at his dinner, speaking only when spoken to.

Dr. Petrov had stopped by, obviously having heard about what had happened with Durand. Otabek had quietly filled her in about the encounter with Alexei before she came and sat with Viktor. They talked, but Viktor didn’t look ready to open up just yet, mostly still in shock, and eventually the Doctor and their friends had left for the evening, hoping that a good night’s rest might help.

By the time they were climbing into bed Yuuri was starting to get seriously worried. “Vitya…”

Viktor suddenly grabbed him, pulling him close.

“I’ve never stood up to him before,” he whispered.

Yuuri blinked and stayed silent.

“I really wish I could tell if he loves me or hates me!” Viktor hissed.

“I think he loves you,” Yuuri said quietly. “He’s terrible at showing it, but he seemed not to approve of me more because I might hurt you or use you. He actually might like me a bit more since I stood by you. Would a guy like Killian face him?”

Viktor shook his head, “Not a chance. He’s a coward, you saw, couldn’t even stand up to JJ.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but giggle, “See? I know that was awful, but I don’t think it’s hopeless.” He softly kissed Viktor’s hair. “Don’t worry; he’s not going to scare me off. It’s hard now since we’re both still in school and stupidly busy, but by the time we graduate we’ll have been together for a year and a half, and it’ll be the off season. We can take a couple of days and go see him together, prove to him that this is real. It’s not the end, not by a long shot.”

Viktor looked surprised, “You’re already planning that far out?”

Yuuri blushed, but nodded firmly, “Yes,” and then a little more timidly, “aren’t you?”

Viktor beamed, “Yes, but it’s nice to hear you say it.”

They kissed again, and as much as Yuuri wanted to celebrate Viktor’s Gold medal, all he wanted to do in that moment was hold his boyfriend and gently remind him of his love, even if neither of them had put it into words yet.

“Make sure you watch me closely tomorrow,” Viktor whispered, “I’m going to tell you just how much you mean to me.”

 

Yuuri can’t help the smile the forms on his lips the moment he wakes up on Sunday. Viktor is snuggling against him, his toes playing with the bottom of the sleep pants Yuuri was wearing. He could tell just from the set of Viktor’s shoulders that he was feeling much better about the events of the previous day.

“I really like it when you wear my clothes,” Viktor sighed sleepily.

Yuuri chuckled, “I like wearing them. They’re very comfortable.”

“I guess I know what to get you for Christmas.”

“Mmm, yeah, buy yourself more of my favorites. More to steal.”

Viktor laughed and kissed him softly. “I guess I’ll just buy you clothes whenever I want something for myself so I can steal it.”

Yuuri snickered, “Too bad you can’t fit in my clothes.”

“Not fair,” Viktor whined. “You’re starting to hit your growth spurt too, I’m sure you’ll catch up to me soon.”

“Unlikely, my parents are already shorter than me.”

Viktor whined again.

The laid together quietly for a few minutes before Viktor sat up, “If you want to sleep you can, but I like being the first to the Exhibition practice, and I’d like it if you’d join me.”

Yuuri smiled and sat up, “Of course.”

“Did you bring your skates?”

Yuuri looked at him curiously, “I did, out of habit, but I can’t skate there, can I?”

“That’s part of why I wanted to be early. If there are no other skaters no one will mind if I share my practice space.”

Yuuri’s heart gave a little thud at the thought of being on the GPF ice with the GPF Champion. He knew this was no different from the dozens of other times he’d skated with Viktor, but his heart was still a bit nervous.

Twenty minutes later they were laced up and slowly warming up on the ice. Viktor wasn’t wrong. It might be and open practice time, but it seemed no one else had bothered to arrive so early. Even the press was only beginning to set-up.

“When I get here early the best the press can manage is a few shots of me practicing. No interviews. It’s a nice change of pace.”

Yuuri smiled, “I’ll remember that.”

Viktor grinned before dramatically flinging himself around, “Oh no! I’ve told you my secret. Now I won’t have the ice to myself anymore.”

Yuuri laughed and chased after him as Viktor took off, giggling.

“Will you skate your exhibition for me, Yuuri?”

Yuuri blinked, “Don’t you need to practice?”

“I do, but Yakov is still a few minutes away, and I like watching you do your crazy footwork.”

Yuuri sighed but nodded. He slipped on his ear buds and handed Viktor his glasses before taking his position and queuing up the music. The movements as he pounded into the song felt good on his body after several days with only a morning run to sustain him. He focused on cracking his skates into the ice as he stomped through the difficult footwork.

He wished he could have the music of the speakers so Viktor could listen too, but that wasn’t possible here, so he focused on creating the music with his body as he danced and spun. He’d always kept the jumps fairly sparse and simple, his most complicated being a Triple Axel with a high difficulty entry, but today he felt like pushing himself.

He drove into the climax of the song completing his most difficult pass before throwing himself into a Quad Flip. He two footed the landing, but didn’t care, there were so few people who could do this jump, even with a sloppy landing. The rink might be mostly empty, but he couldn’t help showing off a bit for Viktor. The Flip was Viktor’s jump, and he was Viktor’s partner now; he loved showing in his own ways that they were equals.

Well, maybe not quite equals, but Yuuri was certainly worthy to stand beside him.

He smashed his way through one more footwork sequence before hitting his final spin, letting himself spin so fast he nearly spun out of control, and slamming into his final stance, smirking happily at Viktor, whose silver hair always stood out like a beacon to him.

He was not expecting applause, but all around him he could hear clapping and he blushed, sliding forward to claim his glasses from Viktor who was laughing softly. Yuuri looked around and saw several of the cameras which had been in various stages of set-up before, all pointed at him and Viktor. Their mostly deserted rink was also now surrounded by several people, all in suits, and at the far end of the rink, was Killian Durand. He looked pale as he stared at the ice where Yuuri had just skated his heart out to impress his boyfriend.

Viktor giggled and hugged him from behind, “Don’t be too mad at me. I just wanted to show you off a bit.”

Yuuri sighed, “I’m definitely going to need to get you’re a leash.”

Viktor snickered and from over their shoulder Yuuri heard Yakov’s angry Russian bark which he knew signaled the end of their fun.

“Go practice Viktor,” Yuuri smiled.

“Ok,” He pecked Yuuri on the cheek, “go see Yakov. I’m sure at least a few of these people will want to talk to you, he can guide you through it.”

Yuuri skated over to Yakov, feeling a bit sheepish. Yakov didn’t say anything at first, just barked some instructions at Viktor while Viktor began running a few passes of his program.

“Come,” Yakov said gruffly and Yuuri looked up in surprise before slipping on his guards and tottering after him in his skates. He led Yuuri away from the ice to the press area where they were suddenly swarmed by reporters who seemed to have just arrived and been alerted to Yuuri’s skating by their camera crews.

They started asking Yakov questions furiously, but he shook them all off before commenting, “This is Yuuri Katsuki, from Japan. He’ll be next competing at the Japanese Nationals under Coach Celestino. Celestino and I have been working together with our skaters this season since, as I’m sure you’ve seen, they’ve been rather inseparable. Any inquiries regarding Katsuki should be directed to Celestino.”

“Has Katsuki been working with your other skaters?”

Yakov turned towards the questioner, “Mila attends school with Viktor and Yuuri; the three of them practice together 4 days a week. He’s also come to our rink and worked with Yuri Plisetsky.”

“How long have you been working with Celestino?” someone in the crowd asked.

Yuuri glanced at Yakov before answering, “I’ve been under Celestino for just about a year now. The Japanese and European school years are on different schedules, so I was able to take a break to focus on skating for about 6 months before I transferred to the Academy. I’ve been under the tutelage of Minako Okukawa since I was 4 years old.”

“The Prima ballerina?”

Yuuri nodded, “She’s a family friend and has been the driving force behind my skating until now.”

“Why did you not compete until now?”

“Uh…” he didn’t really have an answer for that other than that he didn’t think he could do it, which was pathetic.

Yakov stepped in, “Minako is a ballet instructor, not a skating instructor. Yuuri has had other skating coaches over the years, but no one equipped to guide him through competition. Celestino has been working hard to prepare him for this season. I’ve observed myself that Katsuki’s fundamentals are strong, he just needed a bit of extra guidance to make that final push into the competitive level.”

“Did you teach him the Quad Flip?”

Yakov scoffed, “No that was all Viktor.”

“What other Quads can you do?”

Yuuri swallowed, “Toe Loop and Salchow. My Flip isn’t ready for competition, but I hope to have it ready in time for next season.”

Several other questions were fired at them from there, but Yakov cut them off, stating that they needed to get back to work with Viktor.

They moved back to the ice, but a few other people approached Yakov, talking quietly. By the time other skaters were taking to the ice the commotion had mostly calmed down and Viktor was coming off the ice, both he and Yakov satisfied. Yuuri didn’t want to admit he hadn’t seen any of the practice since he was so distracted by all the press.

Viktor didn’t seem to mind though, pulling on his hand, “Let’s go sightseeing, just the two of us.”

Yuuri agreed, leaving Yakov with a grumpy looking Yurio who had just arrived, being frog marched over by Otabek who seemed to have insisted he get out of bed earlier than he wanted.

“Just be glad he isn’t making you work out, he could give Yakov a run for his money,” Viktor muttered to Yurio as they passed. Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh at the look of horror that flashed over Yurio’s face, and the smirk that Otabek was trying to hold back.

They spent the morning visiting museums and memorials that were better suited to quiet observance, and not the antics of several excited teenagers. There were even a few wizard memorials alongside some of the Muggle ones that were particularly interesting to Yuuri who had always enjoyed history.

After a quiet lunch they went to the hotel to rest until the exhibition in a few hours time. They ended up watching a movie and were soon joined by Otabek, Yurio, Sara and Mila; who had all returned from their various activities.

Yuuri was so comfortable wrapped up in Viktor’s arms he almost fell asleep, the movie was interesting, but the weekend had been exhausting and Viktor’s chest as very comfortable. He was awake enough however to notice Otabek covertly take Yurio’s hand under the blanket they were sharing, and action that was missed by the others who were more focused on the movie. Yuuri just smiled to himself, keeping that tidbit and the resulting blush on Yurio’s cheeks to himself.

“So you’re all wizards, aren’t you?” Yurio suddenly said about halfway through the movie, making Sara and Mila jump in surprise.

“Yes,” Viktor sighed, “and you are very lucky not to have been wrong about that. If Sara or Mila had been a Muggle I would have had to wipe your memory.”

Yurio scowled, “I wouldn’t have said it unless I was sure. You all go to school together, and despite what you told Yakov I know it’s not in Russia. It’s some magic school, isn’t it?”

Yuuri was impressed, “Yes, but how did you know it’s not in Russia?”

“If it was you’d come to practice with Viktor.”

“I’m not allowed to leave campus without permission.”

Yurio rolled his eyes, “Then why does Viktor stay at his apartment on weekends?”

“Technically I could go back every night, it’s easy, but I like staying at my apartment because then you and Georgi can come over. I actually like hanging out with you.” Viktor smiled, “But you’re right, it’s in Scotland.”

Yurio grinned at his own cleverness, “So how do you do it, travel that is? Do you use brooms?”

Otabek chuckled, “We could, but they’re too slow for something like that. They’re not much faster than a train.”

“We use fireplaces, actually,” Yuuri informed him. “We can teleport too, but you have to get permission for that. I only just got mine a few days ago; Mila and Sara don’t have it yet.”

“I’m getting mine next weekend,” Sara murmured. “They’re having an exam right before we leave.”

“Nice,” the others nodded.

“Wait, so, fireplaces,” Yurio’s brow was scrunched as he thought, “how does that work?”

Viktor tapped his lip with a finger, “Hop in, say where you want to go and poof. There’s more to it than that, but that’s the most basic explanation.”

“So your fireplace at home…”

“Yup.”

“Wow.” Yurio settled back against the couch thinking.

They stayed quiet for the rest of the afternoon, Yurio clearly deep in thought, and Yuuri had no doubt there would be many more questions in the future.

When it was time, they made their way back to the rink, Sara and Mila hanging back to keep Makka company until closer to the start of the event. Viktor would be the last skater, but he still had to arrive at least an hour before the start.

Yurio was skating earlier, but also had quite a wait to endure before his performance. Otabek seemed more than happy just to accompany them. There was a soft look in his eyes whenever he looked at Yurio that was not lost on Yuuri.

They settled in and got to work, Yuuri helping Viktor stretch, Otabek helping Yurio. Yakov and Dr. Petrov joined them eventually, the Doctor speaking quietly to Viktor who answered her cheerfully. Based on the smile she sent Yuuri, he guessed she was pleased by the way he’d handled everything.

As the Exhibition began they all moved to the ice to watch Yurio’s performance, a rock number that Viktor had apparently helped him choreograph, much to Yakov’s displeasure.

“Watch this,” Viktor whispered to them as Yurio launched himself easily into an absolutely massive Quad that had the whole arena roaring. Viktor snickered. “I added that in just to stir people up. Everyone _knows_ Yurio can do Quads, but no one’s ever seen it. Leave it to Yurio to blow everyone away.”

Yuuri smiled. He would never admit it, but he couldn’t wait to test himself against the furious Russian ice kitten.

Worlds. He’d get his chance at Worlds. He just had to qualify.

The night moved on with several fun performances from the ladies and paris until finally it was the senior men’s’ turn. JJ looked like he hadn’t been fully prepared to skate an exhibition that weekend, but seemed to have a lot of fun just skating to a song that would be more at home at a hockey match than a figure skating competition. Chris did a flirty number that had a number of girls (and guys) swooning by the end, while Viktor made a face and muttered about not needing any extra incentive to not touch the ice.

Finally it was Viktor’s turn and Yuuri felt his heart pound in anticipation. He’d been waiting so many months to see this program, and from the way Viktor smiled at him before skating out, it was clear he was excited too.

The music began and Yuuri instantly recognized the song as the same one he’d heard that first weekend, when he and Viktor had gone to Russia; it was the song that Yurio had grumbled at Yuuri about singing the lyrics wrong.

Except they weren’t wrong anymore.

Viktor was skating, a smile on his face as he reached the first chorus, his eyes meeting’s Yuuri’s for a split second and Yuuri understood, Viktor had changed the lyrics.

_I’m free to be the greatest I’m alive._

_I’m free to be the greatest here tonight._

_The greatest, the greatest, I love you._

_The greatest, the greatest, I love you._

_Don’t give up, I won’t give up, don’t give up._

_I’m free to be the greatest I’m in love._

_I’m free to be the greatest here tonight._

_The greatest, the greatest, I love you._

_The greatest, the greatest, I love you._

A laugh spilled from his lips. Only Viktor could get away with a changing the lyrics of a song to simultaneously declare himself the greatest alive, and that he was in love. How silly this song would have sounded if he’d come in second. Stupid Vitya, taking such a risk.

He was crying. Stupid Viktor. Stupid Yuuri, loving that big idiot so much. He kept his eyes on the stunning program, which could have set records if Viktor had wanted to. And he’d done it all for Yuuri.

The song was winding down and Viktor jumped. Yuuri didn’t even have to watch to know what jump combination it would be, but of course he watched; he could never take his eyes off Viktor.

The song ended and Viktor held his pose for only a second before dashing to Yuuri, but it was Yuuri that leapt at him this time, kissing him happily, ignoring the cheers and whistles.

Once they’d both gotten a hold of themselves they waved and bowed, Viktor supporting him as he stood on the ice without his skates.

The event wrapped up, with all of the skaters taking the ice to wave to the crowd, someone putting on some peppy pop song for the skaters to skate and dance to, several of the skaters starting a dance off, with one of the girls even trying a Quad. She was close too. Yuuri could see Mila get a look in her eyes that clearly implied how badly she wanted to be master one sooner.

“Yuuri,” she whispered, “our goal by Worlds is a Quad for me, and the Axel for you.”

Yuuri stared at her and thought about claiming it was impossible, but a voice inside him stopped him. Mila’s goal was possible. His might be far more difficult and into the future, but if a few bruises inspired her, it was a small price to pay.

“Alright, we’ll start when we get back,” he agreed.

 

With the event over, so too signaled the end of the weekend. Otabek, Mila, and Sara crowded into Viktor’s room where the girls had left their luggage after checking out that morning. Yurio was sitting on the bed with Makka watching intently as Otabek turned on the spot and disappeared with the girls.

“That is just weird…” Yurio whispered.

Viktor and Yuuri laughed.

“Yeah,” Viktor smiled, “it’s weird for a while, but you get used to it.”

“Hey Viktor,” Yurio asked a bit shyly, “something went wrong with your magic when you were twelve, didn’t it?”

Viktor sighed, but nodded, “My mother’s death was hard on me, it was also the beginning fo the break down between my father and I. My magic just sort of cut off for a while, that’s why my hair didn’t grow.”

Yurio looks pensive, “But the opposite happened last spring.”

Viktor nodded, Magic is complicated. It’s impossible to know how any event will affect us. Mine just seems to express itself through my hair.”

Yurio nodded, “Just…don’t do that again. I didn’t like it.”

Viktor smiled and nodded, “Alright. I’ll do my best. I’ve gotten better, haven’t I?”

Yurio shrugged, “I guess.”

Otabek reappeared at that moment, ready to collect the bulk of the luggage since he couldn’t very well transport both the girls and the luggage in one go. He moved over to Yurio to say his goodbyes and Yuuri came up with an excuse to drag Viktor over to the closet, hoping to give the others some privacy. Yurio didn’t seem happy that Otabek was leaving.

“What are you doing over winter break,” Otabek asked quietly.

“Practicing, visiting my Grandpa, crashing at Viktor’s; same as always, really.”

“Except I won’t be there,” Viktor piped up before Yuuri could stop him. “I’ll be at Yuuri’s”

“Like I said,” Yurio said a bit crankily, “same as always.”

Otabek chuckled, “Text me when you’re bored; I’ll come over.”

“Just don’t do it on my bed,” Viktor teased as Yuuri threw his hand over his mouth and dragged him back to the closet.

Yurio swore at Viktor, a furious blush on his cheeks, before looking back at Otabek, apparently trying to play it cool. “Bring food with you. Viktor normally cooks for me.”

Otabek smiled, “My mom’s a great cook, I’m sure she’d be happy to prepare extra for me to share with you.”

Yurio was quiet for a minute before hugging Otabek, “See you soon then,” he whispered.

Otabek smiled, hugging him back. “See you soon, Yura.” He stepped back, picked up as much luggage he could carry, turned on the spot and was gone.

It was quiet for a minute before Viktor began flitting about, readying for the night, and bustling off to the shower, leaving Yuuri and Yurio alone.

“Do you need help?’ Yurio asked quietly.

Yuuri looked up at the teen who was still blushing slightly.

“Mila told me what you’re wearing and showed me how to tie it. If you don’t want my help then I’ll just go,” he started to walk towards the door.

“No, Yurio. I’d love your help.”

After a small grumble Yurio nodded. Yuuri quickly divested of his clothing as Yurio busied himself with the TV controls. Once Yuuri had his Juban secured Yurio came over and began tying the garment in place. Yuuri could easily have done this himself, but tying the Obi was always easier with help. He wasn’t about to tell Yurio that, however.

“You should slick back your hair,” Yurio muttered as he worked, “like how you do in competitions. It looks nice that way, at least that’s what the girls told me to say.”

Yuuri nodded and grabbed some gel and worked his hair back as Yurio finished securing the knot. Yuuri thanked him and was just slipping on his Zori when the water turned off from Viktor’s shower.

“You all set?” Yurio muttered. Yuuri nodded and Yurio made for the door, “See you down there, Katsudon.”

It took a few minutes, Viktor clearly toweling off and drying his hair (with a wand rather than the hotel provided hair dryer), before he emerged, dressed only in a fresh pair of boxer briefs. He was about halfway to the closet before he seemed to realize what he was seeing.

“Yuuri,” he whispered. He blinked several times before rushing forward, “Yuuri! You look amazing! I thought you were going to wear a suit?”

“I was going to, but the others said this was better.”

Viktor smiled, “Well this is very nice…”

“Mila said you’d burn my tie.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow, “That bad?”

Yuuri shrugged, “I liked it.”

Viktor groaned and walked over to the closet, pulling on his dress shirt and pants. “we’re going to have to take you shopping, Yuuri.”

“You’ll have to get in line behind Riko and Phichit.”

Viktor laughed and finished putting together his outfit. Yuuri had to admit, Viktor wore a suit very well. “Well, if the result of you terrible suit is I get to spend the evening with you dressed like this, then I have no complaints.”

Yuuri blushed, “You look really nice in that suit.”

Viktor grinned and kissed him softly, “Are you ready to be bored out of your mind for the next four hours?”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh, “Sure, as long as you’re with me then there’s no place I’d rather be.”

Viktor smiled, “Me either.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This chapter is huge and I confess, I couldn't edit as much as I normally would, so if you see something weird, let me know and I'll fix it.
> 
> So the cat's out of the bag and our little kitten knows the truth! Viktor's dad finally has a name, and Killian's been knocked down a peg! Whew....and I thought this trip to Berlin was all going to be just  _one_ chapter (ha). So who do we hate more, Killian or Alexei? Sad to say, neither is completely defeated yet, so we'll see them again. Killian was originally going to get Silver and have an exhibition, but I decided it didn't fit the story for now. When he comes back you'll get to 'see' it.
> 
> Anyone else want to be a JJ-girl now? ;)
> 
> Viktor's Exhibition is [The Greatest by Sia, cover by Madilyn Paige](https://youtu.be/iki7D9FgS20). I know one of you readers linked me to this song; I cannot recall who, but thank you so much for the recommendation. I had had this song in my head for Viktor ages ago, but I didn't love the original for the purposes of this scene, so finding a more emotional cover gave me the freedom I needed. The lyrics change is basically what I thought the lyrics of the original were when I first heard it, so I made Yuuri a dork like me who got them wrong. In case you were curious, way back when Yuuri was in Russian Yurio found a different version of this song that he made Viktor download, [this is it](https://youtu.be/iK_MPTjzk2A). I wanted to share it then, but that would have ruined the surprise. The girl has a cat just like Yurio's so I think he would have been hooked immediately.
> 
> [Yuuri's Kimono](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d0/c1/87/d0c18702c45aca808b32f6e2f25c4704.jpg) inspiration. His would probably be blue rather than grey, and a bit more formal looking. I couldn't find a good image of what I was thinking, but I think we all know Viktor would love to see Yuuri dressed in traditional clothes.
> 
> Next chapter we'll get a little glimpse at the Banquet (not much since Yuuri is underage and wearing a Kimono so he can't exactly drink 16 glasses of champagne and star pole dancing), and then we'll be back to Hogwarts for a short week and then off to Yuuri's Nationals. If all goes as I expect, it'll be the end of the Act (Act 1 - Pre Hogwarts, Act 2 - First Term, Act 3 - Second Term).
> 
> What are your predictions for Nationals? Will Yurio's Senior debut be as strong as he hopes, and will Yuuri qualify for Nationals? And what about Minako? She's got some serious 'splainin' to do! So much to come! 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. Comments are so deeply appreciated. Feel free to send me music recs, you never know when I might use them. ;) See you next week!


	31. First I’ll Take Your Stick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I upped the rating. I feel like I’m close to the line and I’d rather play it safe. Nothing’s really changing with how the story is going to play out, but I am just going to give myself a little wiggle room. Enjoy!

Viktor hadn’t been lying about the Banquet being boring. The food was decent, and there was a lot of Champagne, but neither Yuuri nor Viktor allowed themselves more than a glass. “I’d indulge,” Viktor whispered, “but frankly I’ve been a bit off of it since last year.”

“Our drinking age is 20 in Japan so I didn’t even think about it. Not to mention we have class in the morning,” Yuuri whispered back.

Viktor winked conspiratorially.

Dozens of people approached Viktor throughout the night. Viktor had a smile plastered to his face, but Yuuri could tell he was waning under the constant onslaught.

Yurio wasn’t having much more fun; he was surrounded most of the night by people who thought he was “positively adorable.” Yakov had to keep glaring at him to remind him to remain on his best behavior.

“Viktor,” Yurio grumbled as he came close to them, “are you going to any of the after parties?”

Viktor shook his head, “We have class, so we’ll need to sleep.”

“But you can come over for a little while if you want,” Yuuri quickly added, earning a curious look from Viktor.

Yurio grunted in response, “Grab me when you leave.” He was soon swarmed again.

Viktor looked at Yuuri who sighed, “He’s clearly bored and lonely now that Otabek is gone.”

Viktor looked ready to argue but then sighed, “Fine, I get it.”

Yuuri smiled and kissed his cheek, “Maybe I can come to your apartment for a few days before we return to the school; that is, if Yakov wouldn’t mind me coming to the rink to practice?”

Viktor beamed at that and nodded furiously, seemingly appeased, at least for a moment. Yuuri understood his thoughts. They were never alone at Hogwarts, and they hadn’t had much time just the two of them since coming to Berlin; neither might be in a rush to get overly intimate, but a little push did sound nice.

Yakov eventually released them from the Banquet and the three teens end up back in their room scrolling through movie channels and packing Viktor and Yuuri’s belongings.

“Don’t you need to leave out clothes for tomorrow?” Yurio asks while he watches them.

“We have to wear uniforms for our classes so we’ll have to change as soon as we get back. No sense changing just to change again.”

Viktor yawned, “Yeah, especially when my pajamas are so comfortable.”

“What about you Yurio, do you go to school?” Yuuri asked.

“Nah, I have a tutor. With all my practice and competitions, not to mention traveling between Yakov’s and my Grandpa’s it’s too hard for me to attend school.”

Yuuri had always wondered about Yurio’s living situation and was about to ask when Viktor seemed to answer for him.

“Yurio lives with Yakov most of the time when he’s in St. Petersburg. His Grandpa lives in Moscow. Nikolai used to come here every weekend to visit and watch our practice, but he’s been having some health problems lately and hasn’t been able to come as much.”

Yuuri whispered a soft “Oh” as Yurio looked away.

“My mom’s not really around anymore. She’s living with one of her boyfriends right now.”

Viktor nodded and slipped his arms around Yuuri, “Some of her boyfriend’s are real assholes, that’s why it’s better for Yurio to stay with Yakov or me whenever he can.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but feel sorry for the teen who just looked grumpy.

“Yakov says I can get my own apartment if I have a successful Senior Debut. He wants me to prove I’m responsible enough for it.”

Viktor chuckled and soon they were handing off a few of Viktor’s belongings to Yurio who promised to bring them back to Viktor’s apartment for him.

“You own me a game for this,” he grumbled.

“Fine,” Viktor grinned, “just text me which one you want and I’ll have it delivered.”

“Da,” Yurio mumbled before looking at Yuuri. “Don’t let me look bad, Katsudon.”

Yuuri smiled, “I’ll do my best.”

Yurio left and Viktor instantly glomped onto Yuuri, “You’ve been neglecting me.”

“Oh have I?” Yuuri chuckled.

Viktor nodded, “You looked so cute tonight and then you barely even kissed me. So unfair.”

“Hmm, you’re right, that does seem rather unfair.”

Viktor nodded, pouting cutely.

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as he kissed him, slowly pushing them both towards the bed where they collapsed together.

“Ah, I’m so tired,” Viktor moaned, pulling Yuuri closer.

Yuuri murmured, “Yeah, a shame really, I am still feeling very happy about that Exhibition.”

He could practically feel as Viktor came awake again, suddenly rolling onto of him and kissing him hard. Yuuri couldn’t help the soft noise that came from between his lips as his mouth gladly accepted Viktor’s intrusion.

After a minute Viktor pulled back, “Is it ok if I touch you?”

Yuuri smiled, he couldn’t help it as love for Viktor raced through his veins, practically leaking out of his pours. “Yeah, that’s fine. But just touching today, if that’s ok?”

Viktor smiled and kissed him softly, “That’s more than ok with me.”

Yuuri grinned and let himself sink into Viktor’s embrace as they kissed and touched until they both fell asleep satisfied.

 

The next morning was full of the usual bustle as they juggled checking in with Yakov before they left and pretending to head to the airport. Yakov was being unusually helpful, offering to stay with them until they caught a cab, or even to accompany them to the airport. At first Yuuri and Viktor were curious as to why, but then Yurio called to tell them the front entrance was swarming with reporters.

Knowing they couldn’t just sneak out and slip unnoticed around a corner, Viktor pretended to call down for a cab, and then had Yurio distract Yakov so they could pretend to slip out the back.

“I think I’ll be glad for the quiet of the castle after this,” Yuuri noted as they gathered their things to Apparate from the room after Yurio texted them the all clear.

“Worlds will be worse,” Viktor warned.

Yuuri smiled, “Don’t forget the Olympics in two years. That’s sure to be terrible.”

Viktor grinned, “Yeah, but it’ll be worth it. Be my date to the opening ceremony?”

Yuuri laughed as he wrapped his arms around Makkachin to Apparate, “Sure, I’ll see you after the Parade of Nations.”

“See you there,” Viktor winked as they both turned on the spot and headed back to Hogwarts.

“Good morning boys,” a calm voice commented as they reappeared in the Head Mistress’ Office. “You’re just in time for breakfast; though please make sure to change first.” There was an amused twinkle in her eye as she noted their pajamas.

“Yes, Professor,” they both replied.

“And congratulations, Mr. Nikiforov.”

Viktor blushed slightly, “Thanks Professor.”

They hurried off to their dorms, changing quickly before slipping down to breakfast where they were met with cheers as Viktor was swallowed up by well wishers. This continued throughout the day, and before either of them knew it, it was already time for bed.

The week continued on in much the same way. Viktor was busier than Yuuri since he’d missed more school, but Yuuri had little time of his own to feel lonely since Mila hadn’t forgotten her commitment.

Every day after class they made their way to the rink to practice the big jumps they were going for. Yuuri had observed Mila for much of their first session, recommending she two work with Otabek to get a little more power out of her legs; her hang time was slightly too short to allow her rotations, but really, she had everything she needed to get there.

Yuuri was the opposite in many ways. His stamina combined with Otabek’s training had made his jumps big enough that he had the time, the problem was his rotations. The bigger jumps had made his Triple Axel a bit lazy, and he’d slowed his rotations subconsciously it seemed. Now he needed to undo the bad habit, and that was just going to take a lot of practice.

The more intense practices meant they were both visiting Madame Pomfrey every night for a salve that eased bruises away quickly, but after 4 days of hard falls, both of them were seriously feeling the effects of the repeated tumbles.

“Well,” Mila said with a huff as they both gingerly made their way back to the dorms after Thursday night’s practice (and Viktor’s scolding), “at least we know gravity still works.”

“Scientific log, day 572, Gravity still in effect, see ass for evidence.”

“As your boyfriend I’d appreciate if you didn’t ask others to look at your ass. I’d also appreciate if you’d stop being so reckless,” Viktor huffed from where he followed behind them. “You both have Nationals in a week; you don’t need to be practicing these things now.”

“Oh, so it would be better to do it when we get back, right before the European Championships?” Mila asked with mock sincerity.

“No no, Mila,” Yuuri teased, “We should do it all night right before Worlds.”

Viktor pouted and huffed off, making Yuuri chase after him and pull him into a quiet corner and kiss him slowly for several minutes before he stopped scowling. “I’m sorry, Vitya. I promise to take it easy. Mila’s just so determined. If this helps her take her skating to the next level, then I’m happy to sacrifice my body for it.”

Viktor sighed, “She doesn’t need a Quad to win, and I think she knows that. There were other problems and nerves at play, but they’re all going to take a bit of work to fix. I think she’s focusing on this to avoid those things.”

Yuuri pulled him in for and comfortable hug, “I know. But maybe she feels like she needs to punish herself for a bit first. I know that sounds awful, but I really think this is helping. She’s progressing a bit more, and becoming even more fearless. I think she knows what she needs; she’s just acquiring it in a little different way.”

Viktor grumbled but didn’t argue and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as they leaned against one another. He felt Viktor’s fingers trailing down his body and couldn’t help but hiss, with a mix of pleasure and pain as Viktor’s fingers traced down his back and pressed gently into the muscle of his ass.

“I know it’s only for a week,” Viktor whispered, “but I’ll miss you.”

Yuuri smiled, “Me too, but I’m excited too. I feel like I’ve been building towards this for so long.”

Viktor nodded, “You’re ready, now go show everyone else.”

 

Friday was busy with the last few tasks of the term. Most of the students were leaving in the morning aboard the train, but for a few like Viktor and Yuuri they were leaving right after the end of term feast at dinner. In addition, there was a last minute Apparition test right after classes that quite a few sixth years were taking part in.

When the other’s came to dinner, there were many satisfied looks as Sara, Leo, Imara, Charlie and Sueng-gil all passed. Apparently Mr. Reid had showed them Viktor’s game of catch and it had helped several people get the hang of it. Very few people had failed the exam, and many who weren’t yet of age were more than ready to take the test.

It hadn’t take Yuuri long to pack since he had basically just repacked all his bags from the previous week. The one new addition to his bags, however, was Poster Viktor.

“You’ll be lonely if I leave you here, won’t you?” he’d asked, looking up at his 2D boyfriend as he was stuffing socks into his bag.

Poster Viktor had nodded vigorously, smiling his big heart shaped smile as soon as Yuuri had removed him from the wall to slide into the protective tube.

Before Yuuri felt like he had even blinked, the feast was over, his stomach pleasantly full of roasted meats and delicious puddings, heart full of warmth from the company of his friends.

“We’ll call!”

“Good luck at Nationals!”

“Text me!”

“I’m taking you shopping after the New Year, Yuuri!”

Yuuri glared at Riko for that one, which only made Viktor giggle. They needed to get to McGonagall’s office soon to Apparate back. Yuuri in particular wasn’t looking forward to the time zone shift he’d have to face. It would be nearly morning by the time he arrived, and he was planning to stay up most of the day, dancing with Minako and practicing with Celestino. It was going to be a very long day.

That didn’t stop him from going to Viktor’s room one last time for the year and kissing his boyfriend for a very long time, until they both admitted that if they didn’t stop they’d miss their opportunity to Apparate out of the castle.

“After Nationals,” Viktor panted slightly, “let’s talk about this more. I know we’re not there yet, but I want to make sure to always talk. I would hate if I ever hurt you just because I didn’t ask.”

Yuuri smiled, “Thank you. You know I want the same. I can’t wait to show you my town, my home; take you to my rink.”

“Meet your family.” Viktor looked slightly nervous.

“Who will love you, and don’t forget to bring Makkachin. Vicchan is very excited to meet him.”

“Of course, I’ve already backed up my phone and cleared my storage in preparation for all the photos.”

Yuuri snickered, “I’d better go, should I meet you before we leave, or will you just go?”

Viktor pouted, “I’d like to meet you, but if I do I’ll want to kiss you goodbye, and that would be awkward in from of the Head Mistress.”

“Yes, it would.”

“Goodbye, Yuuri. I’ll see you soon.” Viktor kissed him softly.

“Goodbye, Vitya. I can’t wait to see you.” Yuuri blushed a bit as he achingly exited the room, a little embarrassed of how sappy their farewells had been. He quickly made his way up the stairs, gathered his things and made his way back to the Head Mistress’ Office. She wished him well, and soon he was off, disappearing from the warm glow of the castle, and appearing again into his family’s dark kitchen.

He stood still for a moment glancing around. He’d just been here and yet so much was different this time. How much different would he feel next time he arrived? How would it feel once his mind contained memories of Viktor sitting at the table, of Makkachin lazing in a patch of sunlight?

He couldn’t help the smile that slid onto his face. This was happiness.

“Yuuri?”

He turned to the voice of his mother, unable to help his smile from growing as he dropped his bags and ran to her, embracing her in a hug. “Mom!”

She laughed merrily, “I swear, you’re taller every time I see you!”

“Really?” He hadn’t noticed. Then again, Viktor and Otabek were both growing rather rapidly right now, not just in height, but their bodies were expanding, chests growing more prominent. It had been making his small frame feel even smaller.

Holding his mother now he felt the changes his own body must be going through. It felt good.

“You seem so happy, Yuuri,” she whispered.

“I am, Mom. I really am.”

She smiled hugging him once more. “Do you think you can sleep for a little while?”

Yuuri thought seriously about it, “Probably not. My Astronomy class keeps us up till 2am every Wednesday, and I usually practice until midnight. That’s still a good 4 hours from now.”

“Well then,” she smiled, “Why don’t you tell me all about Viktor while I do the morning prep. You can help by chopping some vegetables.”

Yuuri chuckled, “Alright. Do you know when Minako will get to her studio?”

“She’ll actually be here in a few hours. She’s worried you’ve been eating too much and will need a good workout.”

Yuuri groaned, knowing that even though Otabek had been working him hard and keeping a close eye on his weight, Minako would no doubt find some flaw in him and work him even harder this morning. At least he would sleep well tomorrow.

He sighed, and began to tell his mother all about his boyfriend. “It all started on the second day when I went to the skating rink…”

They talk quietly together about school, about skating, about Viktor, until all the prep for the day is done. He’d never been much of a morning person, but the quiet time just talking to his mother made Yuuri’s heart feel warm.

Once he finished up he went back to his room, planning to drop off his things and go for a run before meeting Minako. The door was propped open and he smiled as he poked his head in, spotting Vicchan curled up on his bed, fast asleep. He quietly set down his things and gently sat on the bed. They slight motion was enough to cause Vicchan to stir, slowly opening his eyes and sniffing the air, before realizing just who was sitting beside him.

Yuuri laughed as his poodle jumped on him, knocking them both against the blankets as Vicchan struggled to lick every inch of Yuuri’s face. He stayed with the dog and showered him with affection and snuggles. He also took a selfie with the pup to send to Viktor before finally sitting up.

“Ready for a run boy?” he asked happily as Vicchan wagged his tail. He grinned and changed quickly, spotting the tube on the top of his bag and making sure to properly hang Poster Viktor back-up before he left. He looked very happy to be home.

They set off at a light jog until they reached the beach, where Vicchan relaxed in the sand and Yuuri worked on intervals. He’d always worried a bit about Vicchan, but loved having a companion on these morning workouts. Working along the beach front had always given him the best of both worlds.

He smiled as he looked around, he really had missed home.

The first day was hard. Doing a full day’s workout on no sleep had Yuuri significantly struggling by lunch time, but Celestino pushed him, though only had him mark his jumps. Minako was equally relentless, arguing that he needed to kick his body into the new time zone as fast as possible to be ready for Nationals, and if he stopped working, he’d fall asleep.

She wasn’t wrong. In the 5 minutes he had to wait to get his dinner from his mother when he got home he nearly fell asleep at the table. As it was he barely had the energy to eat his food, shower, send a quick text to Viktor, and crawl back into his bed.

The next morning came too early for his liking, but he forced himself out of bed and repeated the work from the day before.

And then he did it again the next day.

Despite the fact that Yuuri and Viktor had spent almost as much time together as they had apart over the past few months, what with constant practices, competition and varying class schedules; being apart from Viktor now was much harder than Yuuri had anticipated.

Realistically this was no worse than when he’d gone to Regionals or even before the GPF, but somehow this time he felt so alone. He’d become so used to constantly feeling Viktor’s touch on him that he felt like something was missing in the few days they’d been apart. Not only that, but as their relationship had progressed, so too had his feelings of security with Viktor.

He couldn’t help but blush when he thought of their last night in Berlin. Feeling Viktor’s body, even though they had remained (mostly) clothed had been beyond anything he could imagine. If they could make each other feel that good with a few touches and kisses, he was eager to experience what came next.

But they were apart now, and it wasn’t just Viktor, but all of his friends. Phichit was at home seeing his parents until Nationals began, and Yuuko and Takeshi were busy helping their families ready for Christmas and the New Year. They’d both stopped by the rink, but Yuuri didn’t feel like he could relax with them until after Nationals. Not to mention all of his Hogwarts friends were a world away. Their group chat was a flurry of activity, but again, thanks to practice, he couldn’t really keep up.

It all left him feeling lonely and isolated, and at least a small part of him knew it was his own doing.

The ice too no longer felt like the refuge it had always been, but a cold reminder that he was alone. He’d grow so used to the constant company at the Hogwarts rink. There were so many people there, skating or studying at one of the tables. Even when he slept he was almost never alone. Now on the ice he was apart from everyone he cared for, with only Celestino to observe him.

He only seemed able to find relief within the confines of Minako’s studio, but every so often, flashes of what Yuuri could only assume were memories of the day Viktor had come there, would come to mind, causing him to stumble and grip his head, longing for a deeper understanding of that day.

He’d thought about talking to Minako about it, but the timing never seemed right, and then he’d found out she had to be away from a few days before Nationals with her ballet students. She’d be meeting them in Yokohama for the competition, but after Sunday he was alone in the studio.

Any safety he felt in that place was quickly taken from him though, as he and Celestino traveled to Yokohama on Tuesday evening, well ahead of the competition. If Celestino noticed Yuuri’s quiet detachment, he said nothing. He tried to distract himself from the feeling of unease and the clawing in his mind by taking pictures of the scenery for Viktor as they traveled all day by train.

“Yuuri,” Viktor said quietly when they video chatted that night, “what’s wrong?”

Yuuri sighed and lay back on his bed thinking seriously. “I don’t know, to be honest. I’m not overly nervous and I can’t really think of anything wrong other than I miss you a bit, but I just feel really alone, I guess.”

Viktor nodded, “How can I help?”

“I’m not sure. If I knew what was wrong or if I was in a deep panic attack I could tell you, but I haven’t ever really felt like this.”

Viktor seemed to think, “It sounds like depression, to be honest.”

Yuuri sighed, “Maybe, but it doesn’t really feel sad. More overwhelmed?”

Viktor smiled, “I guess it can take a lot of forms. Do you want me to have Dr. Petrov call you?”

Yuuri thought about it. Honestly it might be a good idea, and yet, he really didn’t know her that well…

“I’ll text you her number,” Viktor cut his thoughts short. “That way if you decide you need to talk you can reach out. Or you can call any of us. I know Yurio is a bit prickly but he’ll listen if you call. He’ll probably tell you you’re being stupid and curse at you in Russian a lot, but sometimes that is oddly comforting.”

“How’s he handling everything?” Yuuri asked, glad for the chance to change the subject.

“Oddly accepting. He thinks my father is a real prick, so that seems to have overridden any shock at this point. I spoke to some government officials and assured them Yurio wouldn’t tell. I might have kind of adopted him so you have a son now, sorry.”

Yuuri snorted, “Hey now, we’re not married, he’s your son!”

“Yuuri! He’s an angry, angsty teenager who needs two parents! How can you abandon us? Yurio needs his Papa.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but giggle, “Ah, so you’re his Mom?”

“Of course, I am a perfect mother for our little kitten. I know how to cook his favorite foods after all.”

Yuuri had dissolved into giggles at that point and had fallen asleep feeling marginally better. Unfortunately it hadn’t last long.

Wednesday morning Yuuri was back on the ice for the public practice sessions. They had timed the different skaters to space out those they considered the top contenders for the podium in order to stagger the interviews and skating time.

Somewhat to his dismay, Yuuri had achieved the highest scores in any of the qualifiers, placing him high on the list of contenders, right behind the three top competitors who had bypassed the qualifying rounds due to making the podium last year.

He knew of them of course, but really knew nothing about any of them except Oda, and that was all mostly Viktor’s limited knowledge and his own YouTubeing. He’d looked the other two up. The second best skater what alright, but as far as Yuuri could tell, he seemed distracted in a lot of competitions. He seemed like someone who could be amazing if he just paid attention, and based on the mutterings from his coach, it seemed to be a commonly held perspective.

The third place finisher from last year was alright, but had no Quads in his programs yet, and seemed unlikely to add any based on his age. Retirement rumors were swirling around him, according to the skating blogs.

Oda was incredible though. He’d been single-handedly holding up Japan’s placements for the past several years. He had two Quads, and there was a rumor he was adding a third this season. He might not hit the podiums at the international level very often, but he was always just off, nipping at the heels of anyone who might under estimate him. Yuuri was confident that if he added that Quad he’d make the podium at Four Continents, even with Skaters like JJ shaking things up.

Yuuri had the first practice time, for which he was grateful since most of the other skaters were taking their time getting on the ice, leaving him large swaths of the cold expanse to slide and curl over as he let his mind slip into his usual routine.

He noticed Celestino signaling him to work on his jumps, and Yuuri nodded and jumped into a Triple Axel, smiling as he landed it easily. He really wanted to close his eyes and just jump and spin, but he could sense more people coming towards the ice now, he needed to nail these jumps now if he was going to get them done in practice.

He quickly moved into the Quad Toe Loop-Triple Flip combo, and after another lap of the rink pulled his Quad Salchow off with only a slight wobble. The ice was filling now, and he had to caution to other skaters. Celestino was smiling, and Yuuri signaled for permission; for what, Celestino didn’t know, but he nodded in response anyways.

Yuuri knew what was going to happen soon enough; he could feel the eyes and cameras on him. He’d get asked about Viktor, he’d probably get a few backhanded comments about them being gay, but he didn’t care. He wanted to prove something. He was Viktor’s boyfriend, but he was more than that.

He picked up speed, motioning to the others that he wanted to do one final jump, and after the others had all backed off for him, he leapt into what was probably a poor decision, but still beautiful, Quad Flip. He barely held the landing, a hand coming down on the ice.

But still, it’d had the effect he’d been hoping for. People were quiet all around him, staring openly. Yuuri skated over to Celestino who was shaking his head. “What was that about?”

“Just felt like I needed to say something.”

Celestino laughed, “Sometimes I forget you’re still a kid. Try not to sass your elders anymore today, alright?”

Yuuri nodded, remembering suddenly that he was most likely the youngest competitor here, and that while he might be an adult in the wizarding world, he certainly wasn’t here. He couldn’t help but smirk, remembering how Viktor said a lot of older skaters thought he was a cocky brat. Maybe Viktor was rubbing off on him.

With practice finished, it was time for interviews, something Yuuri wasn’t excited for. Normally Minako would be there to help him, but she wasn’t due for a few more hours, and Celestino’s Japanese was rusty at best. He was on his own.

“Katsuki-kun,” the first reporter called. Yuuri couldn’t help but bristle a bit; he didn’t like being treated like a kid. “You seemed to have an excellent practice session, how are you feeling coming up to your first Nationals?”

“I’m excited. I’ve been working very hard for this moment,” Yuuri answered politely.

“You were in attendance at the Grand Prix Final with Viktor Nikiforov, and he’s posted many photos of the two of you together, I take it you’re rink mates as well as friends?”

Yuuri really wished Minako was here, “Technically we aren’t rink mates. Viktor trains under Yakov, I train under Celestino. Viktor was kind enough to introduce me to Yakov in the fall and Coach Yakov gave me some invaluable advice. In exchange Celestino has always helped Viktor whenever Yakov was unavailable.”

The reporter nodded, “Having such a famous friend must have helped you to get this far. I’m sure it’s quite useful for gaining entry to certain events, introductions to sponsors and such.”

Yuuri glanced at Celestino and considered translating for the coach, but some piece of Yuuri’s brain must have been overloaded because before he could stop himself he was answering, “I wouldn’t know. Like I said, Celestino is my coach, and he handles all of those things, along with my ballet coach, Okukawa-sensei. Viktor and I only skate together; we don’t discuss things like sponsorships.

“But that’s not what you want to know. You’re asking if I befriended Viktor to get special privileges. The answer, not that I should have to tell you, is no.”

With a puff he turned on his heel and walked away with a very confused Celestino in his wake.

“Yuuri, what…?”

“He wanted to know if I was using Viktor to get ahead in skating.”

Celestino’s face darkened, “We won’t do anymore interviews until Minako arrives. I’m sorry, Yuuri.”

“It’s alright; it’s not your fault.” Yuuri paused, “Is that really what people think of me?”

Celestino sighed, “Some, yes. Minako and I have been fielding questions for several weeks now about your relationship. Wondering how you two know each other. Some are just curious; some have more nefarious notions in their heads.”

“Sorry.” Yuuri muttered.

Celestino patted him on the back, “What for? You’ve done nothing wrong. You made a friend and started, what appears to me, to be a healthy relationship. You’ve worked hard and improved dramatically in your skating as well. You can’t flirt your way to better skating, and you’ll just have to show that and then you’ll shut them all up.”

They spent the rest of the day relaxing and generally avoiding the press, though Yuuri never really relaxes. He scrolls through social media, flicks through channels on the hotel TV and stretches out on the floor of his hotel room, but his mind is constantly flowing, with thoughts so obtuse he couldn’t really express what he’s feeling.

Minako arrived that evening just before dinner, glancing at Yuuri seriously all through dinner, as if she could sense his inner turmoil.

He didn’t call Viktor that night, opting to text a bit instead, and even then Viktor did most of the talking.

Morning came early and still Yuuri felt a strange combination or emptiness and loneliness aching in his chest. He knew he should call Viktor. Yes it was too early in Russia, yes Viktor needed his rest for his own program, but he _knew_ he should call.

He didn’t call.

He knew he should talk to Minako, tell her what he was thinking, tell her he felt alone, and tell her he was hurting. He should tell Celestino he was lost and he needed help. He should tell them what he was feeling.

He couldn’t tell them.

He slipped on his headphones and put his short program music on repeat, listening to the sad chords again and again. In hindsight having such depressing music maybe wasn’t the best choice. Then again, maybe it was perfect; he couldn’t seem to express in words what he was feeling, but maybe he could skate it?

He was scheduled late in the competition, and though there was ample time to speak to other skaters, he never did. Instead he sat off to the side, music filling his mind until nothing else remained.

When it was his turn, he simply slipped off his ear buds, handed them to Minako and stepped onto the ice. Celestino merely looked at him but said nothing. Yuuri was glad for it; maybe he should talk about what was happening inside him, but not in this moment. For right now all he wanted was to skate.

The music started and he let his body explain his feelings inside, his fears and anxiety. He worked so hard, but would it be enough? He had friends now, but would they remain close when they were apart? Would Viktor love him after today? Tomorrow? The next day?

He followed the music, feeling some part of him break open as the pain and fear came out, but instead of distracting him, he felt stronger, pushing into jumps with grace and power. His spins flowed with energy and his steps and movements were all colored with that deep longing.

‘I don’t want to be alone,’ he thought as he let his feet carve precise patterns into the ice, smoothly and fluidly, until the final note played and he stood at center ice, tears in his eyes as his emotions assaulted him.

The roar that surrounded him had him suddenly wide-eyed, as if waking from some sort of dream. He stumbled through his bows to the audience and judges, grabbing a onigiri plushie from the ice as he skated towards Minako and Celestino in a daze.

His coaches seemed to understand his mood and didn’t speak as he approached the Kiss and Cry. The announcement of the scores was read out and Yuuri’s mouth dropped open in shock. Celestino slapped his back and Minako hugged him, all while the audience was going wild. What had happened? How had he scored that high, and why didn’t he feel happier about it?

By the end of the evening Yuuri was firmly situated in First place. Reporters surrounded them, eager to witness an upset, but Yuuri really couldn’t answer any of their questions other than that he would give his all the next day. Minako handled most of the questions, for which he was grateful.

He stumbled back to his room and fell asleep the moment he got back to his room, only waking late in the night to the sound of his phone ringing.

“Yuuri,” Viktor’s voice was soft and loving, and Yuuri was sleepy enough that his more complicated emotions felt far away.

“Vitya,” he whispered. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too, just one more night then we’ll be together. Now tell me, how did you do today?”

Yuuri blinked, trying to remember, “I don’t know. I can’t remember my skate at all.”

“Were you nervous? You aren’t hurt are you? How did you place?” Viktor sounded concerned and Yuuri wondered what percentage of that worry was over his placement.

“Vitya, I’m in first place,” he whispered shakily.

There was a pause and then, “Yuuri!! That’s amazing! Please tell me Minako or Celestino have video, I must see it. Did you land all your Quads? Oh, you must have been beautiful. I’m so mad I missed it.”

Yuuri tried to catch up, willing his mind to answer. But Viktor surprised him.

“I’m so proud of you Yuuri.”

A small sob slipped through his lips.

“Yuuri?”

“I’m sorry, I just…I’ve been really lonely and I guess I’m nervous? Hearing you say that…”

“Was it bad?”

“No!” Yuuri gasped. “No I just…oh god, I’m in first, Vitya!”

Viktor chuckled, “Yes, you are Yuuri.”

Yuuri moaned, “I wasn’t supposed to be in first, I was supposed to be in third or fourth so I was close enough not to be discouraged, but I’d have to fight. Now I have to…what? What do I do?”

“You fight, Yuuri. Just as hard as if you were in fourth. If it helps, tell yourself you’re in fourth.”

“But what if I skate like I’m in fourth? After today, they were all asking me so many questions, asking how I’d outdo today’s performance tomorrow. There’s so much more pressure now!”

“Actually there’s no pressure, Yuuri,” Viktor whispered quietly. “You’ve already gone out and showed them you are a strong skater. Look, I know I’ve talked about Worlds a lot and I still really want you to go, but what’s most important is your career and your future. They’re seeing you Yuuri. You’ve done your job. Tomorrow is just icing on the cake.”

Yuuri thought about Viktor’s words, rolling them in his head.

“Do you want to sleep, Yuuri?” Viktor asked gently, cutting off his thoughts.

Yuuri felt like his thoughts were very slow just then. “I do, but I also don’t want to hang up.”

Viktor laughed softly, “Then why don’t you stay on the phone with me until you fall asleep?”

“Really?”

Viktor made a noise of assent and Yuuri snuggled down into his covers, resting his phone by his head and closing his eyes. He could hear Viktor lightly humming and soon he was a sleep, snoring softly.

“I love you, Yuuri,” Viktor whispered as he hung up.

 

Yuuri woke the next morning and smiled to see Viktor had sent him a late night selfie after he’d fallen asleep. His heart and mind were still conflicted, but he felt reasonably comfortable as he made his way to the rink with Minako and Celestino.

He was ready to begin his warm-ups when Minako called him over.

“There’s a wizard reporter here who wants to interview you.”

Yuuri gulped and let Minako lead him over to the small, rather eccentrically dressed reporter. He looked like something out of a 30 year old movie and was even wearing a newsboy cap. Minako cast a spell to keep others from over hearing and the reporter began. The first few questions were simple enough, basic biography questions, a few questions about why wizards should pay attention to the Muggle sport.

But they were interrupted by a JSF official coming over, looking slightly dazed, asking Minako to come with them. Minako’s brow knitted and she was about to tell Yuuri to come with her but the reporters all jumped in, “It’s alright, we’re almost done. Just a few more questions!”

She looked at them skeptically before glancing at Yuuri for his permission. He nodded at her and Minako followed after the official.

“So Mr. Katsuki, you went to Mahoutokoro, correct?”

“Yes, but I go to Hogwarts now.”

“Why the sudden switch?”

Yuuri tensed slightly, but surely this wizard wouldn’t care about his parentage. “I’m half-blood. My mother is a Muggleborn witch, so Mahoutokoro would not admit me to the NEWT levels. Hogwarts offered a transfer opportunity so I took it.”

The reporter nodded, “Where you met Viktor Nikiforov?”

Yuuri nodded.

“Were you aware that Mr. Nikiforov would be attending Hogwarts?”

“No, I didn’t even know he was a wizard.”

“Really? His family is famous. One of the purest families you’ll find. You study History, do you not? Surely you would have run across his family’s name?”

“Perhaps, but Mahoutokoro’s History lessons tend to focus on Asian history, not Europe. Since attending Hogwarts I’ve learned much about his family’s history, as well as that of many families in Europe. It’s been very fascinating.”

The reporter murmured, “You are only performing at the National level,” there was a small twitch in the man’s lip,” whereas Mr. Nikiforov is the current World Champion. You’re nearly a Muggleborn, and your family runs a Muggle business. The Nikiforov’s are an old wizarding family who has given much to our world. So my question, Mr. Katsuki, is why should wizards follow you, when they could instead focus on Mr. Nikiforov?”

It was like the sound went out in the room as Yuuri stared at the man. That was the question, wasn’t it? One he’d never thought to ask. Why would anyone pay attention to him?

Minako suddenly burst in, having overheard the question, chasing the reporter away furiously as Yuuri just stood frozen.

“Don’t pay attention to him Yuuri. He’s just trying to create drama for a story. You don’t need to listen to idiots like that. You know I don’t, and Viktor wouldn’t either.”

Yuuri blinked, “Right, you’re right.”

He began his warm-up, buds in his ears again, but he didn’t believe his own words. Why would anyone care about someone like him?

The competition began, and skater after skater went on the ice with solid scores. Yes, Yuuri knew he could beat many of these; he had beaten many of them at Regionals, but what about those who weren’t there? Was he crazy? Challenging such experienced skaters, surely he was stupid thinking he had any right to be in this place.

Surely he was an idiot thinking he could be with Viktor. How could he stand beside him?

A hand on his back shook him as Minako and Celestino stared at him, both kneeling down, concern in their eyes.

Yuuri wished then that he could cry, that he could let out his fears and worries. He wished he could curl up and just sob, but instead he just stared, a part of him oddly dead, another screaming in terror.

‘Help me,’ he thought, wishing he could will his lips to say the words.

His coaches talked to him in low voices, but the sound was gone, and then there was no time left and he was stepping onto the ice.

“Yuuri,” Celestino said gruffly, grabbing his shoulders so hard it was almost painful, forcing Yuuri to look at him. “What would Viktor tell you to do now?”

Yuuri blinked, “He’d tell me to skate for him.”

Celestino nodded, “Can you do that? Can you skate a program that you’d want to show Viktor?”

‘Yes,’ his mind screamed, but all he could do was nod.

Minako bumped her forehead against his a little harder than he was expecting, “Get out of your head and just go have fun. Lose yourself in the music, Yuuri.”

He gulped and slid onto the ice. Lose himself, he could do that. Hadn’t he done it yesterday? The music began and he let his body follow the familiar movements.

But they weren’t quite right. This program was Yuuri’s personal strength, his own, quiet testament that he would be there for those he loved; but today it was a plea. He wasn’t promising, he was asking, and somehow the moves didn’t fit as well.

He kept on skating, his Quad Toe Loop landed, but then a stumble on the Salchow. It would be ok; he just had to keep going. A stumble but not a fall. He had to keep going, he might be weak, but how would anyone know what he needed if he didn’t tell them? He had to skate it!

His movements became more frantic, spinning, twirling, his body begging for help. His footwork was too sloppy, his arms weren’t moving right, Minako would be disappointed.

He nailed his Triple Axel and a part of him cheered, waking up from the fog that was his own fear. Viktor, he had to think of Viktor, skate for Viktor. Viktor loved his program. He could do it!

The Quad Toe-Triple Flip combo was coming, and he could do it, he knew it. But his speed was wrong, and it was only a Triple-Double. He practically screamed in frustration as he spun out, that final spin and halted, shakily, into his final position.

The crowd was loud again, full of cheers, but Yuuri could feel bitter tears burning in his eyes. He’d messed up, and as he made his way from the ice his coach’s faces only proved his point. He hadn’t done his best and he knew it.

They were silent in the Kiss and Cry until the scores were read and they all held their breath and look and looked.

Yuuri felt his heart shatter. Bronze.

He’d missed Silver by only two points.

People were cheering, reporters were congratulating him on a masterful debut, but Yuuri felt sick.

“Minako,” he groaned and she understood as she practically carried him to a quiet back hallway. He couldn’t breathe, his breaths coming in gasps.

“Yuuri, focus, breathe with me.” She took deep breathes, breathing exercises she’d taught him for dancing years ago. He followed her movements, trying to match her pace. It took much longer than he’d like, but eventually his lungs settled.

“What do you need?” Minako asked softly.

Yuuri thought about it and looked up at her, a look in his eyes that Minako knew all too well. “I want to go skating.”

Minako smiled, “Alright, I’ll find us a rink.”

 

90 minutes later he was on the ice of a deserted and darken rink on the other side of the city. At some point he’d stood on the podium and smiled what he was sure was nothing more than a tense grin, receiving the Bronze medal. Then he and Minako had raced out of the arena, grabbing the first cab leaving Celestino behind to handle the interviews, explaining Yuuri was just a bit overwhelmed and would give interviews tomorrow after the Exhibition.

He had kept his body warm so he didn’t need much of a warm-up as he slipped in his ear buds and began skating figures. The music was quiet and he let it carry him. His playlist was an eclectic mix that had come about as a result of having friends from all over the world adding their favorites to his list.

By the time he was fully warmed back up, a particularly heartbreaking song had begun. He didn’t recognize the song, but it didn’t matter, its words filled him and he began to skate, echoing its lonely cry with the voice of his blades. His tears represented in the spray of the ice as his skates carved its surface.

He wanted to cry so badly; Viktor would be calling at any minute, his own National Free Skate ending in less than an hour. He’d want to hear about Yuuri’s own performance. How would he be able to tell him the nerves had gotten the best of him, that his Free Skate about strength had left him looking so weak?

Sure, he’d made the podium, but he’d missed Worlds. Viktor would tell him it was ok, and that he was still so proud of him, but Yuuri wasn’t proud of himself. He was holding his emotions in check now, but talking to Viktor was sure to break everything loose.

How would he go back on the ice tomorrow and skate his Exhibition after spending the whole night crying?

“As I see it,” he heard Minako’s voice and turned to see her standing at the barrier, watching him with concern, “you can either choose to fall apart, or you can fight for what you want.”

Yuuri blinked, not questioning how she seemed to know what he was thinking. “How do I even do that? How do I fight now? I messed up, missed my chance! How can I fight?”

Minako smiled, “By not giving up.”

Yuuri sighed, moving his skates in slow figures. “Minako, the competition is over. They always pick the World’s entries based on the Nationals results. There are no battles left to fight.”

Minako shrugged, “Maybe so, but you’ll never know if you give up now. Why not fight back? Prove to them that they’re making a mistake.”

Yuuri choked out a laugh, “What does it matter if I prove to them how great I am in an Exhibition? I blew the competition from nerves. That’s all the matters!”

Minako sighed, frowning, “I never knew you to be a quitter, Yuuri.”

Yuuri stumbled. He was quitting, wasn’t he? Giving up before he’d even tried. A few weeks ago he didn’t care where he was skating, he threw down every trick he had to prove he was worthy of Viktor. He skated on GPF ice and he wasn’t even invited to a qualifier, so why was he giving up now? Why wasn’t he willing to fight for himself?

He kicked the ice. No one was going to fight for him but himself. He wasn’t a failure, and he wasn’t a quitter. He’d fought against everything that held him back for so long.

Maybe this was a futile act, but his own stubbornness wouldn’t let him quit now.

He looked up, spotting Celestino walking into the rink. “Celestino, take my phone. Viktor is sure to call and if I talk to him I’ll cry, and I can’t cry now.” He tossed the phone to Celestino who caught it awkwardly.

“I’m redoing my Exhibition. I’ve already added jumps in on the fly, but I need to load it with all my Quads, even the Flip. I’ve got 4 minutes to show that I am better than what I showed today, and I need to make use of every second of it.”

“Yuuri!” Celestino gaped openly at him as he struggled to find words. “The program already takes everything you’ve got, if you add 3 Quads…”

“Three solo Quads, 1 Quad Combo and the Triple Axel, maybe one other triple just to round it out,” Yuuri corrected.

“Seven jumps?!”

“Four in the second half, at least.”

“Yuuri! You’ll never manage to add that much!”

“I will,” Yuuri said with quiet certainty. “I know it will be hard, but I’ll do it. Can you ask the rink manager if we can stay all night? I’m going to need some time to get the composition right.” He paused, looking up at a stunned Celestino, and a quietly smiling Minako, “I know this might be an empty gesture, but I need to do this. If I don’t fight now I’ll just fall apart tomorrow. I need this.”

Celestino stared at him for another minute before sighing, “Alright, I’ll talk to the manager and then we’ll get to work. Minako, we’re going to need a lot of calories if we’re going to do this.”

“Roger!” She grinned cheekily, saluting with a wink. “I’ll find the best Udon in town. That should be easy on the stomach and loaded with carbs to get you through tomorrow.”

Yuuri laughed, “Udon sounds great, Minako.” He turned to Celestino, “Let’s get to work. “

 

 

Viktor woke up and stared at his phone. Nationals had gone well, and he’d been able to handily defeat Georgi, though Yurio was much closer than he was comfortable with, given it had only been two weeks since he moved from the Juniors to the Seniors. He’d have to work harder to keep the little monster from out doing him.

Then again if Yuuri beat him...he smiled at the thought of kissing Yuuri’s gold medal.

Speaking of Yuuri, he was surprised his phone hadn’t woken him. He’d called the night before but there’d been no answer. He assumed with all the craziness Yuuri had fallen asleep. Viktor couldn’t blame him for that; your first major competition was exhausting.

But surely he would be up by now. Viktor had left a text asking him to call in the morning, no matter how early, and yet, there was nothing. No calls, no messages.

Why wouldn’t Yuuri call? Surely he’d be excited and want to talk. He’d been in first after the short programs, and Viktor had seen Yuuri’s Free Skate enough times to know that it could easily outperform Oda or Nakimura.

Was he overwhelmed with the attention?

No, Viktor knew Yuuri well enough to know if it was something like that Yuuri would call. For Yuuri to go dark like this could only mean one thing. A feeling of unease settled in his stomach.

He pulled up a Google search on his phone and cursed silently as any relevant web pages seemed to be in Japanese, and Google translate was useless. He would see where the placements were listed, but it was turning the names into words, which was cool when he thought about it, be really unhelpful right now.

He looked for pictures, but none of them showed the podium. He did find one of Yuuri mid air on one of his Quads, if Viktor had to guess. He looked fine, but it was hard to tell from one photo.

‘Damn it skating nerds! Get your game on and publish the photos and update the goddamn Wikipedia page!’ he thought. He needed someone to translate this for him, but he didn’t…

The thought hit him so hard that he almost smacked himself for not thinking of it sooner. He didn’t even hesitate as he dialed-up Riko.

The line picked up and sounded like it was dropped and juggled a few times before a extremely annoyed Japanese girl grumbled, “What do you want, Viktor?”

“Riko! I’m sorry! I thought you were in Japan for the holidays, I didn’t mean to wake you!”

She grumbled a bit and then muttered, “I don’t go there till after Christmas. Now please tell me you had a good reason to call. Otherwise I’m going back to bed.”

“Yes! I need your help! Yuuri had Nationals yesterday but I can’t get a hold of him. I’m afraid something happened but I can’t read any of these websites. I need you to translate them and tell me the results.”

She groaned, “Fine, send me the links.” Viktor texted them over quickly and heard Riko murmur as she reviewed them.

“Yuuri was in first after the Short programs. Oda-san put up an impressive Free Skate despite injury rumors. Nakimura’s Skate was also strong…though you should know the subtext implies that he’s good but not great.”

Viktor nodded despite knowing she couldn’t see him, “I’ve seen him skate; he’s fairly average.”

Riko chuckled, “You should learn to read Japanese. Sometimes the reporters can really sneak some shade in with the dual meaning of words. This is entertaining. Anyways, Yuuri...Yuuri, oh no. It says he had a hard time during the Free. His presentation, which has always made the program feel strong felt a little desperate which cost him points, and it didn’t help that he fumbled a few jumps. He ended up third.”

Now it all made sense.

“I don’t get it,” Riko questioned, “third is really good, isn’t it?”

“Not if you’re Yuuri, and certainly not if you were first the day before. Yuuri needed to earn Silver if he was going to get sent to Four Continents and Worlds.”

“So what does that mean?”

“It means it’ll be at least a year before he really hits the International stage. He might get invited to some Grand Prix events, but it’s unlikely he’ll get invited to enough of them to qualify for the Final.”

“Oh…” She was silent then.

Viktor sighed, “Out of curiosity, how much did he miss Silver by?”

He heard Riko doing some math in her head, muttering a bit, “Two points.”

Viktor hissed. That was nothing. Yuuri could make up a two point difference with a single spin if he wanted, his performance was so strong. It all made sense now.

“Thanks Riko,” he replied sadly.

“You’re seeing him tonight, right?”

“Yeah, as soon as I’m done with my Exhibition.”

“Give him a hug for me, ok?”

“Yeah, will do. Do me a favor and don’t tell the others till tomorrow. If he’s ignoring me, he’s probably trying to avoid this for a bit longer. I’m sure he’ll appreciate hearing from them after it’s over, but for now it’s probably best to give him space.”

“Are you going to follow your own advice?”

Viktor thought about that, could he stay back from Yuuri when he knew he needed him? “Yeah,” he said softly. “He’ll let me know when he’s ready.”

After a quick farewell, he hung-up, lost to his own thoughts. He needed to practice soon. He was planning to do the same Exhibition as from the Final, but maybe he should do one of his other’s for Yuuri?

No, he rejected the thought immediately. Yuuri wasn’t weak, what he needed now more than ever was a reminder of how Viktor felt. Maybe he hadn’t said it out loud to a fully awake Yuuri yet, but he knew. They both knew what was between them. He was Viktor Nikiforov, the best skater in the world, and he loved Yuuri Katsuki, and he was going to keep screaming it to the world until his lungs burned.

But he was still worried. He needed to know Yuuri was ok and short of Apparating there he had no way of finding out with Yuuri avoiding his phone.

He opened Instagram, thinking of sending a DM there. That was probably even more useless than calling. He scrolled through his feed for a minute hoping for inspiration when his thumb paused over a photo.

Phichit was suppose to be at Nationals with Yuuri, but according to his feed he’d only just arrived! His latest photo showed him entering the arena, captioned only with ‘Finally here!’

Remember their group texts from months ago Viktor scrolled through his messages until he found the thread and pounded on his screen, trying to get Phichit’s number just a little faster, pressing it even harder when he found it.

It rang twice.

“Hello?”

“Phichit! Thank god. This is Viktor.”

Phichit laughed, “Yeah, I know. I saved your number after Yuuri made that group message. Wanted to be sure I was ready in case I ever needed to tell you off for playing with Yuuri’s feelings.”

Viktor couldn’t help but smile. He was glad Yuuri had such a loyal friend. “Phichit, I thought you’d be getting to Nationals sooner! Have you seen Yuuri? I heard about the results. Is he ok?”

Phichit sighed, “I was supposed to be, but my Grandmother showed up unexpectedly and pulled the whole guilt trip thing on me. I texted Yuuri but never heard back. I haven’t seen him yet either. I went to the hotel when I got in last night but he wasn’t there, and he never came back.”

Viktor gasped but Phichit cut him off before he could panic too much, “I texted Celestino last night and he told me Yuuri was with him. Apparently they were working on his Exhibition. Minako was there too. She sent me a picture.”

Viktor could hear Phichit shuffling his phone and a second later Viktor’s own pinged with a notification. He opened the message and clicked on the image. There was Yuuri, clearly quite late at night, dripping sweat, a look of determination clear on his face.

“He doesn’t look too bad,” Viktor mumbled looking over the video. “But why wouldn’t he come back to your room to sleep; why would he ignore my calls?”

“Because he’s not ok. Yuuri has different stages of breaking down, and skating till he can’t move is Katsuki 101 for ‘Yuuri is freaking the hell out’. He does that to keep it under control just a little longer.”

Viktor thought this over, “What if they were changing his Exhibition?”

Phichit made a noise, “They could have been. It would explain why both Celestino and Minako were there. Yuuri can skate figures all night safely, he doesn’t need two coaches to watch him. But if so, what does that mean?”

Viktor honestly didn’t know, “I think he’s going to surprise us, Phichit.”

Phichit was thoughtful for a moment before squealing, “They’re here! Oh…wow, Viktor. You need to see this.”

There was more fumbling and another notification. Viktor opened the photo to see Phichit had taken a selfie, only instead of his usual perfection his eyes were wide; the reason why was clear as Yuuri, Minako, and Celestino were entering the building behind him, all looking terrible. Yuuri had massive dark circles under his eyes, and Celestino’s usually gorgeous hair looked limp. Even ageless Minako looked haggard.

“I don’t think they’ve slept,” Phichit whispered.

“No, I don’t think they have,” Viktor agreed.

“I’m going to go,” Phichit said quietly. “I’ll try and find out more from Celestino and I’ll text you. Just get here as soon as you can tonight. I’m sure Minako will take Yuuri straight home. By the way, you’ll be getting there late so try to wear something that Yuuri’s touched so Vicchan doesn’t freak out too much when you get there.”

Viktor chuckled, “Oh believe me Phichit, there is little in my wardrobe that doesn’t smell like Yuuri.”

“I didn’t need to know that.”

Viktor laughed and hung up, sighing to himself. He needed to start preparing for his own day. Never before had he wanted to skip an Exhibition so much, but he knew he couldn’t skip today. He had to trust Yuuri to reach out if he needed help, and if Yuuri’s exhausted face told him anything, it was that he had a plan.

Still, he counted the hours until he could hold his boyfriend in his arms.

 

Yuuri blinked rapidly as Phichit suddenly popped into view, his too bright personality lighting up the room in a way that was entirely too harsh for anyone who had been up all night to bear.

“Phichit, what are…wait, weren’t you suppose to be here days ago?”

Phichit looked exasperated. “Yuuri! I texted you days ago. My Grandmother suddenly showed up and insisted I stay home and visit with her. I should have known something was wrong when you didn’t respond.

Yuuri scrunched his brow, trying to recall such a text.

“Yuuri’s been a little out of sorts all week,” Minako kindly supplied.

Phichit looked worried but a soft smile took over his features as he looked at Yuuri. “You’re going to surprise us, aren’t you?”

Yuuri smiled a bit shyly, brain too tired to think much, his whole body moving by determination alone. “Yeah.”

A few hours later he was stretched and warm. He had earplugs in his ears since he wasn’t about to take back his phone from Celestino. There were bound to be missed calls from Viktor, texts from friends. If he looked at them now, allowed himself to think about it…he wouldn’t accomplish what he needed to.

He sighed, seeing Celestino out of the corner of his eye. It was time. He hadn’t done what he had come here to do. Not really. It was time to finish the job.

He took off his guards and stepped onto the ice, he was the first of the men to perform and his goal was simple; make the other performances pale in comparison to his own so that anything after him was a letdown. It was a little selfish, and maybe he was being a sore loser, but he had a point to prove and now was the time.

Phichit, Minako and Celestino all stood at the wall, but it was Phichit who spoke.

“I spoke to Viktor today.”

Yuuri looked up, startled, worried for a moment what Phichit might say.

Phichit smiled and gripped his hand. “He said ‘Surprise me’.”

Yuuri nearly sobbed in relief. It was a perfect thing to say, just what he needed.

He slid out and the cheers filled his ears. He tried to remember the level of volume now, determined that the next time they cheered it would be far louder.

He’d never worn this costume before, Minako having taken care of the design, only showing him a few hours before he wore it for the first time. Honestly she couldn’t have done better.

It was all white, with the occasional gold sparkle on the chest and arms, sparkling like jewelry, catching every time he moved. But the real wow factor was the pants, which bled into a fiery blend of reds and oranges. His body nearly faded into the ice, all attention drawn to his feet. There were sparkles embedded into the design, so every fast movement of his feet would be shown off and accented.

It was perfect. He might have added jumps, but he’d barely touched his footwork for the program. There was no time to rest, no time to breathe, just pure power all the way through.

He began, bouncing as he moved through the first beats right into a normal paced footwork sequence, moving immediately into his first jump, a small warm-up you could say. Though it wasn’t small at all, the Quad Toe Loop moving him easily into his first hard step sequence, feet flying so fast he didn’t have time to think. He spun and kicked, dancing through the first half, stopping only once more for a Triple Lutz, letting his spins and feet tell the story. Yes this program wasn’t getting scored, but it was time to prove something.

The moment the beats hit the second half he was moving into his Quad Salchow, landing it perfectly. Another footwork series, a spin, Triple Axel with a tricky entry. A heavy footwork sequence, capped with the Quad Toe-Trip Flip combo. He distantly heard applause. He moved again, never stopping, another blistering step sequence.

Then, as the final meters of the song played, when others would be slowing down, he sped up. His legs, lungs and body were on fire, there was so little energy left within him. He’d packed himself with food that morning to make it through, but those reserves were all but tapped. But he would do this, energy or no, he’d land this last jump.

He flew, an image of Viktor doing this same jump coming to mind, as his Quad Flip soared. One, two, three, four; his blade touched the ice and he willed his body to stay perfectly stable, landing the jump. He wanted to scream with joy but he needed that one last moment as moved those last few steps and slammed into his final pose, arms crossed, chest out, pride written all over his face.

The arena exploded with light and sound as the crowd and announcers battled to be heard. Flashes were going off all around as the press hurried to snap as many photos as they could.

Yuuri laughed, he couldn’t help it. His emotions were so raw, his body so tired. He waved happily and slowly pushed himself to the exit, barely making it before nearly collapsing into Celestino, breath coming in great gasps, laughter starting to be replaced by tears and sobs.

Phichit and Minako bundled him in a jacket and took him into the locker room. If Yuuri had been more aware he might have laughed at the looks of surprise on the other skater’s faces as Minako barged into the men’s locker room, supporting a laughing/sobbing teenager.

They sat him on a bench and Minako started coaching him through breathing exercises while Phichit carefully removed his skates. Yuuri winced. Amidst the adrenaline of his skate he’d felt no pain, but the blood on his toes spoke volumes about what he’d put himself through in the past day.

Phichit was up and gathering clean towels and a basin of hot water, setting about cleaning Yuuri’s feet and bandaging the digits.

He breathed, focusing on watching Phichit work. He was only crying now, tears simply falling from his eyes, but the sobs had stopped, at least for now. Celestino joined them then and soon Yuuri found himself being stripped and led to the shower. They sat him on a bench and Phichit used the handheld nozzle to clean his body.

Yuuri’s modesty normally would have been protesting this, or at least checking to make sure Minako had left, but he was too gone to care. The dam on his emotions had cracked and it just had to pour out right now. But with every tear a piece of his heart felt better. Fear, anxiety, depression, he might not have completely won, but he’d fought back, and for that he was proud.

By the time he was washed, dried, and dressed, he felt better. He thought longingly of his bed, but that was still far off. He stood to slip on his sneakers, wincing at the protests from his feet, but happy for the sensation that proved his efforts.

Celestino put his hands on his shoulders, “Do you think you can do a few interviews, Yuuri? I promise we won’t allow any questions like before.”

Yuuri wondered what Minako had told him about the Wizard Press interview. It didn’t really matter. He understood it, he always had but now he was reminded. Muggleborns and those who lived so closely to Muggles were different. The hatred and prejudice were born of fear. Fear of change, fear of the unknown. Change is hard, and it’s easier to look down on someone else then to open yourself up.

“Yeah, I can handle it,” he replied, voice steady but quiet as he smiled up at his coach.

The reporters were ravenous, but most of their questions were about upcoming competitions that Celestino was best equipped to handle. There a few questions about Viktor, but Minako explained they wouldn’t be answering them, and before he knew it, with barely a word spoken, they were done.

“Come on Yuuri,” Minako whispered, practically carrying him as he grew more and more exhausted. “I told Celestino I was driving you home. Phichit will take care of your hotel room and collect the rest of your things. Let’s get you home so you can rest.”

“Viktor’s coming tonight,” he mumbled, feeling a bit childish. Minako seemed to be trying to find a suitable place to disparate.

“Yeah?” Minako grinned. “You’ll bring him by the studio?”

Yuuri nodded, “He wants to see it, again. We know you brought him here, Minako. Why didn’t you tell me?”

She sighed, pulling them into a small room off a darkened hallway. “You weren’t ready, Yuuri.”

She grabbed him by the waist, turned on the spot, and landed them right in his kitchen. He could feel his bed calling for him.

 “I’m ready now,” he grumbled. “I want to know everything about Viktor. Why can’t I remember that day?”

Minako shook her head, “Not tonight, Yuuri. Get some sleep.”

“You’ll tell me later?” His voice sounded a bit whiny, and he was sure he was looking up at her with shining, childlike eyes.

She sighed, “Yes. Now sleep.”

He nodded, too tired to protest. He stumbled into his room, stripping his JSF gear and slipping on a pair on Viktor’s sweat pants and a shirt he’d left out before he left. Vicchan must have been sleeping in Mari’s room because he came into the room just as Yuuri was crawling under the covers, tail wagging happily when he spotted Yuuri.

Yuuri held open his arms and Vicchan hopped into them. Yuuri rubbed his face into the fur. “You’ll have to move when Viktor gets here…”

The emotions hit all at once. He’d wanted so badly to go to Worlds, to have the chance to skate with Viktor, to show he was good enough for his boyfriend. But he’d failed.

A sob ripped out of his throat and the cracked dam fractured a bit more and he held onto Vicchan tighter, feeling the poodle’s warm tongue against his face.

There was a sudden thumping from the hall and he and Vicchan both looked up to see an out of breathe Viktor, who looked like he had only spared time to rip his costume off. His t-shirt was askew and his sweat pants were untied and barely clinging to his hips. His shoes were only half on and his hair was still tied back and full of hairspray to keep any wisps controlled.

“Yuuri,” he whispered.

Vicchan looked at the two of them before slowly moving to the end of the bed and lying between Yuuri’s legs and the wall, making room for Viktor.

Yuuri opened his arms once more and Viktor dove into the bed, hugging him tight as the dam burst completely open and Yuuri sobbed harder than ever before, the sound muffled by Viktor’s chest.

“I messed up,” he whimpered.

“Shh, zolotse. You were wonderful.”

Yuuri cried as he clung to Viktor.

“I only got bronze,” Yuuri sobbed. “I won’t go to Worlds.”

Viktor kissed his forehead and cheeks, “If they saw your program tonight they may be seriously reconsidering that.”

“You saw it? How?”

“Of course, I’m always watching you. But in this case, Phichit sent me a video.”

Phichit was such a good friend. He wished he could properly thank everyone who had supported him, but instead….Another sob spilled from his throat as he remembered the past week. He felt like he’d been in a fog all week and now things were coming to mind with an uncomfortable sharpness.

“There was a reporter, and he asked me why anyone should pay attention to me when they could follow you instead, and it just shook me. I don’t know why, but I got into my head. And then I had to watch as all those skaters do so well and put up those scores and I just…I just.”

“Shh, Yuuri, it’s ok. You were nervous. That reporter shouldn’t have said that, but you know what I would have said if he’d asked me?”

Yuuri peered up at him.

“I would have told him he should watch you because everyone else is. All the skaters, the fans; they are all paying attention to you. You’re beautiful when you skate. You can do things on the ice I only wish I could do.”

Yuuri blinked listening to his words, wondering how it could be true. He focused on the feeling of Viktor’s arms around him and the soft rumble of his voice.

 “I asked Yakov to get the officials to let me perform first. They didn’t like it, but agreed. Yurio’s going last tonight so they aren’t too upset. He did really well, you’d be proud of him.”

“That’s good…” new tears fell down his cheeks as the disappointment washed over him in waves.

“You landed the Flip,” Viktor whispered, and Yuuri nodded. Viktor closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding him closer. “I’m so proud of you, Yuuri.”

“Did I surprise you?”

Viktor chuckled, “Yes, now get some rest sweetheart. You’ve earned a day off tomorrow. What do you say we go see that movie, da?”

Yuuri nodded and buried his face deeper into Viktor’s chest, tears still falling, as they would for another hour before he slowly gave into to exhaustion, whispering as he did, “love...Vitya,” which made Viktor’s cheeks flush bright red.

“Goodnight Yuuri,” he whispered to his sleeping boyfriend. “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry.
> 
> I really don’t want to make Yuuri cry, in fact, when I began the story he won Nationals. It was cute, it was sweet, it was…boring. Then I started thinking about what happens after. If he won, then we just fast forward to Worlds and its over. There isn’t much story left to tell.
> 
> It didn’t fit Yuuri, and while this story doesn’t follow canon, it felt really divergent from the show.
> 
> So I started thinking about what would happen if he lost and ended up going in that direction. As a 80s/90s kid my favorite movie is The Lion King, and [a particular scene](https://youtu.be/dZfGTL2PY3E) came to mind, which particularly influenced this chapter, including the title. Yuuri has grown a lot since the story began, but he still is running a bit from the doubters and haters.
> 
> ‘Today’ he took the stick, and tomorrow he’ll…well, you’ll have to read next week’s chapter to find out.
> 
> Thank you for reading as always! Please share and comment because kudos and new readers make me happy and I love responding to comments. See you next week!


	32. Christmas Katsudon

Yuuri woke the next morning, blinking in the dim light of his room. His arms were curled gently around Vicchan and he sighed, nuzzling into the dog for a few minutes before his mind finally began to come awake.

Where was Viktor?

He sat up slowly, careful not to dislodge Vicchan who rolled a bit as he moved, tail wagging up at his owner. Yuuri couldn’t help but smile and pet the dog, happy to have his old friend close again.

The door had been left open a sliver and was suddenly pushed open a few more inches as, to Yuuri’s surprise, Makkachin poked his head in, looking at Vicchan curiously.

“Behave Makka,” Viktor warned as he came up behind the poodle, smiling at Yuuri. “You can say hello, just be nice to Vicchan, alright?”

Makka woofed softly and pranced into the room, looking like he was trying exceptionally hard not to bounce in excitement. Vicchan was sitting up, tail wagging excitedly as the other poodle came close and they both hesitantly sniffed at each other before Vicchan grew excited and jumped off the bed to play with Makka.

The dogs stood together sniffing, tails wagging, bouncing up to each other in greeting, before they both dashed out of the room past Viktor to play in a space with more room.

Viktor chuckled as he slowly closed the door and came to snuggle back into the bed with Yuuri. They wrapped their arms around each other.

“You’re here,” Yuuri breathed, relaxing into his boyfriend’s presence.

Viktor hummed, “I am. Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke. You looked really tired so I went home to collect my things and get Makka. I’m lucky Nationals were in St. Petersburg this year; Yurio handled bringing my gear home from the arena for me and stayed at my apartment with Makka last night.”

“I hope you didn’t scare him when you showed up this morning.”

Viktor shook his head, “He was asleep. I have a feeling he was up all night playing that game I got him. I met your mother by the way; she gave me a bento to give to Yurio in thanks for helping me. She’s so nice!”

Yuuri blushed, “Sorry, I should have been the one to introduce you.”

Viktor tutted, “You needed sleep Yuuri. No one’s upset with you. In fact your mother just thanked me for looking after you.

Yuuri blushed a bit, suddenly remembering what day it was. He sat up and pushed Viktor gently down against his mattress and stared into Viktor’s confused eyes. “Happy Birthday, Vitya,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss his boyfriend.

Viktor’s eyes went a bit wide before he grinned and happily kissed Yuuri back, “Ah, this is the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.”

Yuuri smiled kissing him again softly, “I’m sorry I cried all over you last night.”

Viktor’s face softened, “It’s quite alright. Are you feeling better now?”

Yuuri nodded, “Yes, crying helped. I think all of the pressure and stress just made a lot of things build up inside of me until is just sort of exploded out.”

Viktor nodded and kissed his face softly, “You can always cry to me. Believe me, I know the pressure you feel very well.”

Yuuri nodded and snuggled closer.

“It’s nice in here,” Viktor whispered. “This whole place is. I can’t wait to try the Onsen.”

Yuuri smiled, “We can use them tonight.”

Viktor grinned and then seemed to notice something, straining his neck to look at something.

“Yuuri…is that me on the back of your door?”

Yuuri gasped, he’d completely forgotten _that_ poster.

“Oh my gosh, that one’s super limited edition! How did you get it? Why is it behind the door?”

Yuuri buried himself under the covers shaking his head.

“Why are you embarrassed? I already knew you were a fan …” he trailed off and pounced on Yuuri, who squeaked most indignantly. “Yuuri, did you use that poster for naughty things? Is that why it’s hidden?”

Yuuri shook his head hard as Viktor continued to try and get him to answer, kissing and tickling him, slowly stripping away the blankets until he had Yuuri pinned beneath him.

“Fine,” Yuuri said with a huff, “Yuuko got it for me, and you already know I’m attracted to you like that.” He blushed.

Viktor grinned, pressing his body down on Yuuri a little more firmly, sliding easily between his legs and pressing his pelvis against Yuuri’s with a smirk at Yuuri’s gasp.

“Vitya,” Yuuri whispered as Viktor rolled his hips down against his again.

Viktor hummed and kissed him hard and soon they were both panting, grinding together as their hands grasped and explored one another. Yuuri couldn’t resist the urge to run his fingers up under Viktor’s shirt, and relished the look of pleasure on Viktor’s face as he did.

With a soft growl, Viktor yanked his shirt off, tossing it onto the floor before diving back in and kissing and sucking down Yuuri’s neck. Yuuri whimpered, enjoying the feeling of Viktor’s exposed torso under his finger tips.

A few minutes of heated kissing and grinding later and they were both crying out in pleasure as they clung to one another, craving as little space between them as possible.

It took a few minutes for their breathes to calm, and when it did Yuuri couldn’t help the small wave of humiliation that washed over him.

“God, my mother is going to know what we did when she washes these,” he moaned, pulling at his pants uncomfortably.

Viktor giggled, “You forget we’re wizards, Yuuri.” He hopped up and grabbed his wand, pulling on his waist band, “Scourgify.” He grinned wickedly and came towards Yuuri.

Yuuri scrambled back on his bed. “I can do it myself!”

Viktor grinned wickedly, “Of course you can, but you wouldn’t deny me this, would you Yuuri?”

Yuuri blushed and finally relented, closing his eyes as he felt Viktor only pry his waist band up a fraction of an inch and whisper the spell. The instant cleanliness felt a bit peculiar.

“Thanks,” he stammered a bit with a furious blush on his cheeks. “That has to be the worst use for a cleaning spell ever.”

“Or is it the best use?” Viktor winked cheekily.

Yuuri groaned and rolled over, slowly making his way over to his dresser to change.

“So you met my mom this morning?”

“Yup,” Viktor grinned cheerfully, “and Yuuko!”

Yuuri looked up, “Really? What was she doing here?”

Viktor poked him, “Checking on you, silly. Your family and friends all really care about you, I can tell. Anyways, I told Yuuko we were going to the movie she took you to and she went ahead and booked tickets for us.”

He held out his phone and showed Yuuri the confirmation email.

“After we’re done she wants us to come skating. Phichit and Takeshi will be there too. No practice, just fun. Then your mom says we can soak in the Onsen afterwards and we’ll have Katsudon for diner!”

Yuuri blinked. Viktor was amazing; he had just met Yuuri’s friends and family, didn’t speak Japanese, and yet had still managed to plan their whole day.

“That sounds really fun.”

Viktor smiled, “I know right? Now come on, we need to get moving if we’re going to have time to eat some breakfast before we leave.”

It turned out Viktor had been busy that morning, not only had he gone home to collect Makkachin and planned their whole day with Yuuko and his mother, he’d also met up with Phichit to collect Yuuri’s things, and even tagged along with Mari for an impromptu tour of the Onsen. Several of the guests were even greeting him by name as they walked out through the dining room.

Yuuri knew he’d slept a bit late, but he had to wonder how early Viktor had gotten up to do all of this. He was about to ask when Viktor spoke up.

“I’ve never really celebrated my birthday with friends before. I was either at home with my parents or at practice. I’m really excited.”

“Have you ever been on a date?” Yuuri blushed a little.

Viktor seemed to think, “Not really. I’ve had dinner with people, but it was usually a group thing.” He turned and smiled brightly at Yuuri as they hoped on the train together.

Viktor was incredibly curious about everything, keeping up a constant string of questions as they traveled to the neighboring town to the movie theater. They attracted quite a few curious stares as they moved through the theater, which Yuuri supposed wasn’t surprising since they were speaking English and Viktor was clearly a foreigner. It didn’t bother him much until he noticed a few of those stares were from girls around their age, and Yuuri couldn’t help but subconsciously reach for Viktor’s hand as they made their way past a group of girls who were whispering a bit too loudly.

They took their seats, neither seeming willing to unlock their hands.

“You know, every year when the season is over I go to the movies and order the biggest popcorn and soda they have and make myself sick,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri blinked. “Seriously?!”

Viktor laughed heartily, with each ‘ha’ clearly accented. “Yes, I really like it, but it’s so bad for me in season. I know I should just get a small but I can’t help myself.”

Yuuri chuckled, not surprised at all that Viktor’s impulse control was a little weak. “I guess we’ll just have to go together this season. If we split it you shouldn’t get sick.”

Viktor beamed at him and kissed him softly. Yuuri smiled and didn’t think much of it until he noticed that one of the girls they had passed had been coming down the row behind them. She had spun on her heel the moment she saw Viktor kiss him, a bright flush on her cheeks.

Yuuri stared at Viktor and he simply shrugged.

The movie began and soon Yuuri had somehow managed to curl himself up onto his seat as he leaned against Viktor, who’d traded holding Yuuri’s hand for sliding his arm around his shoulders.

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as he watched Viktor’s reactions. He could almost see the wheels turning in his head, the emotions so clear on his face. The moment the plot twist hit, his eyes grew wide and he turned to Yuuri, who just smiled in return. His eyes didn’t leave the screen after that until the very end.

“Oh my God that was amazing! How did they even…? Yuuri! That was so good! Why is that not showing all over the world?”

Yuuri laughed happily as they held hands, their arms swinging a bit as they left the theater to return to the train. “I know, right? It’s so good. And the music!”

Viktor sighed happily, “The music was so good! I should download it.”

Yuuri instantly held up his phone where he already had the soundtrack downloaded and the two of them shared the ear buds as they listened and kept quietly breaking down the movie’s plot.

“I started thinking it was a little predictable and cliché, but that twist. It blew my mind,” Viktor gushed on the train.

“I felt the same thing. I think that’s why the twist works so well. You really think you have it all figured out and then bam.”

“There was just one thing I didn’t understand,” Viktor continued. “What was the red string?”

“Oh,” Yuuri had forgotten that that wasn’t commonly known myth outside of Asian. “It’s this old legend that the Gods will tie a red string between the little fingers of two people fated for each other that connects them throughout their lives, pulling them together by fate.”

Viktor’s eyes were shining. “That’s so romantic!” he cooed. “Yuuri, we should each tie a red string around our little fingers.”

Yuuri blinked, “You think fate brought us together? That we’re destined for each other?”

Viktor shrugged, “We met when we were kids and neither of us can remember it. Then you see me skating and decide to chase me, I see a video of you and want to find you. We see each other at Worlds and just both happen to be 6th year wizards transferring into Hogwarts. Shall I continue you? Seems pretty fated to me.”

Yuuri blushed, “So does that mean…”

“Yes.”

“But I…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Viktor smiled, “whatever you were going to ask the answer is yes. For you, with you, everything is a yes for me.”

Yuuri’s whole face warmed, his hand gripping Viktor’s tighter, nerves suddenly coursing through his veins. “Even though I messed up?”

Viktor tipped his head to the side. “Why would that change anything? You accepted my past, why wouldn’t I still care about you after a small stumble?” He leaned forward and pecked Yuuri’s lips with a light kiss before settling back against the seat listening to the music shifting through their shared ear buds.

“What do the words mean?” he asked softly near the end of a particularly sweet song.

Yuuri blushed a bit, realizing he’d been singing along softly. “Um,” he tapped at his phone for a second, replaying the end of the song. It wasn’t that he couldn’t translate the words; it was just hard to explain.

He was a bit behind the music but he translated as best her could:

_Destiny and future; in a place where such words cannot reach us_

_No matter how much they extend their arm, we’ll fall in love_

_The needles of the clock would move as they look at the two of us from the corners of their eyes_

_Let the two of us, for our whole lives – no, no matter for how many chapters_

_Keep living through such a world._

Viktor smiled, “Wow.”

Yuuri nodded, “It’s a bit hard to translate, but you get the idea.”

Viktor smiled, looking into Yuuri’s eyes. “No matter what fate throws at us, we’ll always love each other.”

Yuuri nodded, blushing, unable to tear his eyes from Viktor’s. Neither spoke or even moved, barely blinking until the voice overhead called their stop. They stood to exit and Yuuri felt Viktor brush up behind him and he whispered close to his ear, “Yeah, that sounds like us.”

Yuuri was fairly sure he was going to combust and was grateful for the cool air as they enter the Ice Castle, before remembering one critical detail. “Our skates! We need to get them…”

He trailed off when Viktor pointed to the counter where Yuuko was already smiling and holding up their skates. “Yuuko grabbed them for us this morning.”

Yuuri was starting to feel like he needed a new level of blushing because the one he currently had was proving to not be enough. Could a person die from blushing too much? They could at least pass out, right? Too much blood in their cheeks, not enough in their brain or something.

Viktor had already skipped over to the counter, “Yuuko! The movie was sooo good!”

“I know isn’t it?! I’m so glad you got to see it.”

Viktor nodded, “I have you to thank since you took Yuuri first.”

She grinned, “So it was a good date?”

“The best!” Viktor exclaimed, winking, “though it’s not over yet.”

Before Yuuri knew it he was being tugged onto the ice and spun around by Viktor who was laughing and smiling more happily than Yuuri thought he’d ever seen. He felt a small tug of sadness as his skates moved on ice; he just wanted the chance to chase Viktor – to really chase him. He knew Worlds was an unlikely and absurd goal for his first professional season, but he’d wished for it nonetheless.

At some point it’d stopped being a pipe dream and had become something far more important.

He felt arms circle around him as Viktor slid up to him. Phichit and Takeshi had arrived and were waving from the barrier as they and Yuuko started strapping on their skates.

“Are you feeling better, Yuuri?” Phichit asked with a sly waggle of his eyebrows as he joined them on the ice, noting their embrace.

Yuuri blushed but nodded, “Thanks for taking care of my stuff, Phichit.”

“No problem. Your mom invited me over for Katsudon tonight, but my mom wants me to come home for dinners during break. I guess she’s been missing me.” He shrugged.

“Maybe Viktor and I should come with you to one of these dinners. Your parents do a lot for me, after all. I haven’t seen them in forever.”

Phichit beamed, “They’d love that.” He turned towards Viktor, “Have you ever seen _The King and the Skater_?”

Viktor tilted his head, “No, what’s that?”

Yuuri groaned as Phichit puffed up excitedly.

“Only the best movie ever! Oh you have to watch it! That’s it; you two are Flooing over later this week for dinner and a sleepover.”

“Shh, Phichit!” Yuuri shushed his friend as Yuuko was glancing at them curiously. Yuuri was sure she hadn’t heard, but it was too close.

Phichit blushed, “Sorry, I got excited.”

Viktor smiled, “It’s ok. I spilled the beans to a friend a few weeks ago. It’s such a pesky regulation.”

Phichit nodded, eyes sparkling. “Imagine if we could tell people freely! We could have parties with all our friends. It would be so much fun! Plus then people like Yuuri wouldn’t get treated like they do.”

Yuuri grimaced and Viktor hugged him tighter again as he whispered, “It never mattered to me, and I’ll duel anyone who tries to make Yuuri feel bad about it.”

Phichit cheered and Yuuri blushed, his protests cutoff by Takeshi and Yuuko finally joining them on the ice, the whole group skating and laughing together.

Yuuko was soon begging Yuuri to do his Exhibition program for her, and exclaimed that she liked his Quad Flip even better than Viktor’s; this of course made Viktor pout forcing Yuuri to pepper his face with kisses. He eventually broke, kissing Yuuri hard until Takeshi rolled his eyes so hard he nearly fell over.

Phichit showed off his new program he was working on for some of the Junior competitions he was entering in the spring, and Yuuri and Yuuko did a small pairs skate from when they were twelve. It was funny to Yuuri, realizing how far he’d come from their simple routine where the most complicated jump was a Single Loop.

Soon Viktor was begging Yuuri to pair skate with him, the 5 of them dissolving into giggles over failed lift attempts and overly expressive gestures as they skated circles around each other.

It was exactly what Yuuri needed. The ice was his home. It was the most fun place in the world for him, and among some of his oldest and most important friends he remembered how it good it felt to slide over its surface.

“I love competing,” he whispered to Viktor as they slid along, hand-in-hand, “but times like these remind me why it’s so fun.”

Viktor beamed at him and snuggled into the crook of his neck. “Everyone always thinks Yakov is grouchy and strict, and he is, but he always gives us a bit of free skate time every week. It really helps us all remember why we love this. I’m glad it’s helping you.”

Yuuri groaned, “You planned this, didn’t you? You knew the best way to make me feel better was to come back out here.”

Viktor nodded into Yuuri’s shoulder, peaking up cutely. “This ice is only perfect for me when you’re on it. You love it so much; I just didn’t want you to forget that.”

Yuuri leaned his head against Viktor’s, “Thanks, Vitya.”

They made plans for movie nights and double dates with their friends, before slowly walking home hand-in-hand.

“I can’t wait to soak in the Onsen! I don’t think I stretched properly last night, and I’m so sore,” Viktor moaned a bit, massaging his thigh as they walked.

Yuuri just giggled and nodded, opening the front door. “Yes, yes. We can have a nice long soak. You’ll feel better I promise. I think you’ll really like the robes we have; they’re really soft but have pants unlike the ones in Europe so you can lounge around in them all day.”

He smiled up at Viktor but immediately frowned when he noticed Viktor staring curiously ahead. He turned towards the dining room, curious at what had caught his boyfriend’s eye.

“Oda-san?” he whispered, staring into his family’s inn’s dining room where Japan’s number 1 skater, Oda Kaito was sitting, eating what looked to be a extra large bowl of Katsudon.

He looked up as he took a drink of beer and smiled, “Viktor! Katsuki-kun! Come sit, this Katsudon is amazing!”

Viktor and Yuuri blinked, looking at each other before slowly moving over and sitting down at Oda’s table full of confusion. Yuuri’s mother scurried over excitedly placing their own bowls of Katsudon in front of them. Viktor might have been curious, but he seemed even more curious about the Katsudon and quickly took a bite.

“Wow!” he cried out, happily stuffing his face with the fried cutlets and fluffy eggs, pieces of rice sticking to his cheek as he merrily ate. Yuuri ate more slowly, curiosity almost distracting him from a grateful moan as the first bite touched his tongue.

Oda smiled at him but said nothing as he continued to eat. Before long, when he and Viktor had emptied their bowls (ahead of Yuuri), they began talking, asking after mutual friends and comparing notes on the season so far. Once he finished his bowl, Yuuri’s mother led them to the unused banquet hall Yuuri had used for countless sleepovers. His father followed behind them, bringing Oda a warm bottle of sake as the three skaters settled onto cushions before the conversation eventually lulled and Yuuri’s curiosity couldn’t be held back any longer.

“What are you doing here, Oda-san?”

Oda grinned and took a sip of sake, “You know it’s a shame we aren’t in Europe; this sake is fantastic. We’ll have to a share a glass soon.” Yuuri and Viktor both continued to stare as the older skater took another drink before clearing his throat.

“I’m here because if the press catches wind of this visit they won’t think much of it. People have seen Viktor and I chat at competitions and we don’t see each other much, so the official story is I’m here to catch up with Viktor.”

“Which is why we ate Katsudon and talked about skating in the dining room,” Viktor replied, cottoning on quickly.

Oda nodded, “Exactly.”

“So what’s the real reason?” Viktor asked, eyes narrowing.

Oda took another sip of sake. “The JSF wants Yuuri-kun to represent us at Worlds.”

Yuuri’s eyes bugged wide and his mouth dropped open. Viktor slammed his knee against the bottom of the table, nearly toppling the bottle of sake. “What?!” they exclaimed in unison.

Oda chuckled, “Don’t get too excited just yet, you’ve still got to earn it.”

Yuuri and Viktor both settled back, staring openly at the older skater.

“We usually send 3 skaters to Four Continents. You’re obviously in the running because of your finish, but in normal years they might not send you since you are so new. It’s a risk, especially when Tanaka is in his final season.”

Viktor blinked curiously and Yuuri whispered in his ear, “He came in Fourth.”

Viktor nodded and Oda continued, “They were planning to send Nakamura and I along with him, but a few things came up last night which have changed their minds, and will affect Worlds.

“First, the rumors that I’m injured are true. It’s nothing serious, but I’m dropping from Four Continents in order to heal-up before Worlds. But that only gets you as far as there. In normal years there’s no way they’d pick you to come with me to Worlds.”

Yuuri nodded, “So what changed their minds?”

Oda smiled kindly before fishing his phone out of his pocket and pulling up a photoset, setting it in front of them. “Nakamura’s behavior hasn’t been great for a while now; he’s been on thin ice with the JSF for the whole season. He was legitimately worried about you coming into Nationals, so when he beat you he let it go to his head and celebrated a bit too hard.”

The photos showed Nakamura with multiple women, several bottles of expensive liquor, and what were clearly some sort of illegal drugs; though Yuuri couldn’t have identified them if asked.

“He says he didn’t take any, and he tested cleanly this morning, but the pictures are damaging enough. They want to send a message to him, but they also don’t want to make any of this public.

“And if they remove him from the World’s roster now, after coming in second at Nationals, it’ll be suspicious,” Viktor guessed.

Oda nodded. “Exactly, we need an excuse.” He paused and looked at Yuuri, “We need you to beat him at Four Continents. We need you to make the podium.”

Yuuri’s jaw, which he’d only just managed to pull closed, fell back open as he began to stammer, trying to form some sort of reply, but Oda cut him off.

“It’s going to be even harder than you think it will be. They were impressed by your Exhibition, and while your Short program was good, it wasn’t strong enough for the International level. I think we all know it wouldn’t beat Viktor.”

They all looked at each other, Viktor just shrugging, a smile playing on his lips. “So they want to come after me?”

Oda grinned, “They think if I’d been totally healthy and hadn’t strained myself in the Qualifiers I could have made the podium at the GPF.”

“It’s possible,” Yuuri muttered. “With Durand doing so poorly, your program could have beat JJ’s, maybe even Chris’.”

“Maybe,” Oda shrugged, “We’ll never know. But what they do know is I’ve been pushing myself this year, and when they asked me why I showed them your performance in Seoul.”

Yuuri looked up, “You saw that?”

“I sent it to him,” Viktor smiled. “Or well, Yakov did. Yurio came home stomping mad about the ‘Japanese Pig who stole my name’ and I had a feeling it was you. I had promised Oda I’d let him know if I learned anything about you so I asked Yakov to send it. I wanted to watch it too but Yakov didn’t want me to get distracted.” He pouted a bit cutely at that.

Oda grinned, “Congratulations on that, by the way, Viktor.” He nodded to where Viktor and Yuuri’s hands were connected. Yuuri hadn’t even realized they’d been holding hands this whole time and blushed a bit.

Viktor for his part just smiled happily.

“Anyways,” Oda continued. “They want to announce the Four Continents roster next week, but they need to be sure you’re up for it. They’re going to send a few officials here to evaluate your new program. They recommend you create a new Short and then make a few upgrades to your Free, but I don’t agree. That’s why I’m here. Celestino was alerted to all of this this morning and he’s making arrangements on his end. Starting tomorrow we’re going to look at your programs and decide what you should change, and choreograph you a new program.” He paused and turned to Viktor, “I’m guessing you wouldn’t mind helping?”

Viktor beamed, “Of course not. I want Yuuri at Worlds more than anyone. It’s no fun winning if I can’t compete against the best.”

Oda chuckled and shook his head, muttering something that sounded like “cheeky brat” in Japanese under his breath. “A week isn’t a lot of time, and they aren’t expecting it to be perfect, they just want to see something with International potential. Then they’ll announce my injury and introduce you to the country.”

“Won’t that make people suspect something, promoting me that way?” Yuuri asked.

“Perhaps, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The sponsors haven’t been happy with Nakamura for a while, and a new rising star will be popular with them. Not to mention if Viktor Nikiforov and I are standing next to you it’ll have even more weight.”

He paused, looking up, “I know this is asking a lot of you Viktor. I don’t know how long you were planning to stay but this will keep you away from your coach for at least a week.”

Viktor nodded, “I don’t mind. I can work remotely at the Ice Castle with Yuuri.”

Yuuri stares at him and whispered, “Are you sure?”

Viktor smiled back at him, “I was already planning to stay till the New Year, and if it helps make your dream come true then how could I say no?”

Yuuri blushed and Oda clapped his hands together. “Then it’s settled! Practice will be at 7am, be sure you’re warmed-up and ready; and be thinking about what you want to skate to. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think a dip in the baths is the perfect way to end the day.” He stood and grinned, clearly enjoying his role in completely surprising Yuuri as he headed for the baths.

“Vitya,” Yuuri whispered, unsure what to think.

Viktor wrapped his arms around Yuuri and kissed him softly. “Are you nervous?”

Yuuri blinked, thinking. “No, just, surprised? I don’t really know what to think?”

Viktor smiled, “You fought hard and never gave up, and now you’re getting another chance. You should be happy. No matter what happens, you have people watching you now, it’s only going to help you in the future.”

“But what if I screw up again?”

Viktor smiled, “Then you try again.”

“That easy?”

“Da, zoloste.”

“What does that mean, by the way?”

Viktor chuckled, “It means ‘my gold’. I know I said I would call you Yura but then Beks started calling Yurio that and it just didn’t fit anymore. I thought this was better.”

Yuuri didn’t mind the change. This seemed more personal anyways. “I looked up Russian diminutives’ when you were away. Why didn’t you tell me Vitya wasn’t just a nickname?”

Viktor’s cheeks flushed slightly. “I wondered why you started only calling me that. To be honest, I liked hearing you say it and wanted to ask you to always call me that but I was a little nervous. I knew if I asked you to call me that always and you stopped, it would hurt.”

Yuuri stared up at Viktor’s deep blue eyes, the only thought flying through his mind over and over being ‘God I love this man.’

Viktor leaned in and kissed him, “I wanted to try the Onsen, but I think I’ll skip it tonight.”

“Really? Why?”

“Well, first of all I wanted to be alone with you, and secondly, I had some ideas for your programs. I want to work on them tonight but that means I need to get back to my computer at home. Do you think you could cover for me tonight?”

Yuuri blinked. “Sure…but what do you mean?”

Viktor grinned, “Do you trust me Yuuri? I have a great idea for your program, one you will love skating and will help with your nerves. It’ll be good enough to beat me, I promise, but I need you to trust me.”

Yuuri stared but nodded, “Of course I do!”

Viktor chuckled and kissed him softly. “Then I’ll be back by morning. I’m going to go ask your mom for some more Katsudon to bring Yurio, then I’ll be off.”

Yuuri held his hand, “I’ll miss you.”

Viktor smiled and leaned closer, “Just a few hours, zoloste. It’ll be worth it, I promise. Take care of Makka for me?”

Yuuri nodded and with a fond look Viktor slipped from the room. Yuuri felt himself wander back to his room, the possibilities swirling in his head. A part of him wanted to head to the rink or Minako’s studio to process all of this new information, but he knew what he needed most was to recover from his all-nighter. One night of tear-filled sleep wasn’t going to be enough to prepare him for the work that was sure to lie ahead of him over the next week.

Makka and Vicchan were curled up on his bed together, leaving almost no room for Yuuri himself, but with a little nudging he managed to slide under the covers, body feeling warm and comfortable surrounded by the snoozing poodles.

He didn’t know what the morning would bring, but hard work had afforded him this chance and he wasn’t about to waste it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this week. Had a lot more written but wanted to hold some of it back while I work on later stuff (just making sure I like how everything works together). It's a holiday weekend so I'm taking it a bit easy after a pretty crazy week. :) I'm hoping to have a side story or one-shot out sometime this week along with next week's chapter to make up for it. Also added a chapter to the total count.
> 
> My one-shot [Pancakes in the Morning](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10585290) got [some attention](http://victuurificrec.tumblr.com/post/161116728393/yoi-fan-rec-friday) this week. So welcome anyone joining this story because of that! If you're liking this story, please share it, req it, comment and smash that kudos button. Getting email's with comments and kudos make me super happy, so I'm shamelessly asking for your support. ;) Thank you as always for reading.


	33. The Red String

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hint: Having 'Yuri on Ice' playing on repeat while you read this chapter would not be a bad thing.

Yuuri’s alarm went off at 5:30 in the morning, a hellish hour that Yuuri was sure he didn’t set it for. His theory was confirmed when he noticed a note from Viktor.

                _Morning zoloste. Go for a run and I’ll meet you at the rink. I think you’re going to love what I have to show you!_

Yuuri smiled, noticing only Vicchan was still with him. “Ready for our run?” Yuuri whispered to the dog who woofed softly. He passed his father on his way out, who informed him that Oda, Viktor and Makkachin had all left around 5. Yuuri couldn’t help but feel a little bad at how much they were all doing for him.

He wouldn’t waste it.

He completed his usual morning workout before jogging to the rink with Vicchan and completing his stretches on the stairs outside. He could tell Makkachin must be inside by the way Vicchan kept whining to go in. “Yes, yes. I know you like Makka; we’re going,” Yuuri finally reassured him as he opened the door to the rink.

Vicchan instantly went to his customary rink side bed where Makka was resting, happily bouncing on his new friend who rolled around with him in greeting before the two snuggled up together. No one seemed to notice this exchange but Yuuri, as Oda, Viktor, Celestino, and Minako were all deep in conversation, going over a series of steps on a white board that Yuuri recognized from Minako’s studio. Viktor was stretching his arms over his head as he spoke when he noticed Yuuri, his face lighting up as he slid over to the barrier and slipped on his guards, before running over to Yuuri to envelop him in a hug.

“Good morning, zoloste. Sleep well? You looked very cozy with our boys this morning.”

Yuuri smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I really feel a lot better. Though the boys aren’t as comfortable as you. Did you get any?”

Viktor smirked. “No, I didn’t get any.”

Yuuri blushed when he realized his mistake and stammered, “I didn’t mean…I meant did you get any sleep?!”

Viktor chuckled, “Some.”

“Viktor, 30 minutes on the floor of my studio does not count as ‘some’,” Minako chided from near the ice.

Viktor pulled him gently by the arm as they approached the others.

“You went to Minako’s?” Yuuri asked, curiously.

Viktor nodded, “There was a section giving me a problem so I showed her and we worked out a solution. It was fun working with my old teacher again.”

“A section?” Yuuri questioned but was cut off as Minako stomped forward and poked Viktor in the forehead.

“Don’t call me old.”

Viktor held his hands up in surrender, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Minako just scowled and Celestino cleared his throat before turning to Yuuri. “Are you ready, Yuuri?” he asked.

Yuuri nodded and quickly pulled on his skates, looking curiously at the white board and computer that were set-up near the ice.

“We’ve decided to convert your Free Skate into a short program, and create a completely new Free Skate.”

Yuuri stared at them all; they had managed all that in one night? “How?”

Oda rolled his eyes, “About an hour after I talked to you, Viktor had us all on a group message with the idea.”

“Had me up half the night,” Minako grumbled.

Viktor merely smiled as if he hadn’t been up all night.

Celestino cleared his throat. “Let’s start with your short. We’re not changing much from how it was when it was your Free Skate, we just removed a few of the weaker sections.”

He clicked on a video on his computer and Yuuri watched.

“I took video of your performances so far and edited them together so you could see what it’ll look like.”

The music was the same, but Yuuri could already hear a few rough cuts where Celestino had shortened certain sections to make the timing work. It wasn’t perfectly edited yet, but Yuuri could tell it would work.

The same could be said for the program on the screen. It was nearly the same program, but a few pieces were missing, while others were moved. Six months ago he would have been afraid of packing all of his highest difficulty moves into such a short time, but he knew his stamina could hold for this long now. His real concern was his Free.

“What do you think?” Celestino asked as the video finished.

“I think the hardest thing will be remembering the new order in my head.”

Celestino nodded, “We’ll just have you run it over and over until you get it right. I’m not worried about the jumps for now.”

Yuuri nodded while Oda looked over Celestino’s notes. “I’d say this could score 100 points on a good day. If you push yourself and have a great day you could be up near the top.” Oda’s meaning was clear of course, if Yuuri squeezed every point possible out of the program he could beat Viktor.

Viktor agreed, “There’s plenty of room for small upgrades, but he can also leave it where it is and still be in great position with this base score.”

Minako agreed, “This program should feel comfortable to you, and I think that’s most important.”

Yuuri nodded before moving on. “What about the Free?”

Viktor smiled happily, “I choreographed something new for you last night; I ran it for them this morning and they approved. Do you want to see?”

“Yes!” Yuuri couldn’t help the eagerness in his voice. A program made for him by Viktor was a dream come true.

Viktor giggled and handed Yuuri his guards before stepping out onto the ice and nodding to Minako. She started the music and Yuuri gasped, recognizing the song from the movie they’d just spoken of the day before. He could see Viktor smiling as he began skating the program.

It was light and joyful with tricky footwork that Yuuri could tell would challenge him. Viktor wasn’t skating it cleanly, unsurprisingly since he’d only choreographed it a few hours ago, but it still looked stunning. He wasn’t even marking jumps, preferring to fully perform the song, which made the whole performance all the more moving.

Viktor had chosen the English version of the song, which Yuuri hadn’t even heard before, shortening the song to keep it moving and lively. There was a shortened interlude in the middle where Yuuri could see he’d really get to push his performance score before the final minutes which Viktor had packed with jumps, refusing to relent for even a second.

It was powerful and beautiful, and Yuuri could see the story clearly. It was the story of them, of Viktor and him searching and chasing one another for years, until finally, they followed each other to the place where they finally met. It’s the story of how they fell in love.

                _How I hope I have forever to spend this life, no, all future lives, here in this world with you._

Yuuri’s eyes were brimming with tears by the end; he could skate to this – win to this.

Viktor slid up to him and Yuuri didn’t bother stopping himself as he wrapped his arms around Viktor.

“Did you like it, zoloste?”

Yuuri nodded vigorously, “I love it.”

Viktor kissed his forehead. “I edited both the English and Japanese versions so you can use that one when you’re skating this program at home and the English when you’re away. It’ll help get the crowd more into the performance if they understand the words.”

“Smart move,” Oda smiled. “That movie is popular here right now so it’ll get people excited. The sponsors will like it too.”

Yuuri just couldn’t get over how much work must have gone into all of this. “You edited two songs in one night?”

Viktor laughed, “Well, Minako helped. I wanted to match the words as much as possible, so she told me where to make the cuts in the Japanese version.”

Yuuri turned and looked to Minako who was smiling happily. “I’ve sorted out your costume as well,” Minako added. “We’re going to switch out the shirt from your Short Program outfit and replace it with a black shirt, and then put a red chord on your wrist. It’ll add a splash of color and the loose ends will look interesting as you move.” She held out a drawing of his original look the designer had send. Minako had recolored the shirt and added the red at his wrist. It was striking.

“Simple is sometimes best,” she winked at him.

Celestino nodded at the drawing, “Do you think you can do this Yuuri? I’ve asked a lot out of you this year, but nothing like this.”

Yuuri nodded, “Yes! I want to do this program. It’s perfect.”

Viktor chuckled and Minako just rolled her eyes a bit. Celestino looked ready to get to work, but Oda  tapped his finger to his temple and muttered, “4 total Quads, 3 different types. It’s definitely enough to place at Four Continents. It’s got the same technical score as yours, Viktor. If his performance is better than yours, he’ll beat you.”

Viktor grinned, “You’re of course assuming I won’t up my program’s difficulty to complete?”

Oda looked up and grinned, “Ah, I see. Clever.”

Viktor shrugged, “It’s no different from you. Knowing what Yuuri’s program contains you’ll no doubt be adding that third Quad to your own.”

Oda shrugged, “Of course. Have to keep up with all you kids. I hear your little Tiger is moving up, and Chris and JJ both have new Quads ready to go.”

Viktor smirked, “Also that’s wasn’t the final jump composition for Worlds. The Triple Lutz will switch to a Triple Axel for Worlds.”

The three adults looked confused.

“Then there will be two stand alone Triple Axels. He’ll get marked down for that,” Minako noted.

A terrible thought came to Yuuri’s mind and he silently begged that Viktor wasn’t about to suggest what he thought he was.

“That’s because the final jump will be a Quad Axel.”

Everyone stared at Viktor who was smiling like he was a genius. Yuuri groaned and buried his face in his hands.

“Viktor…” Celestino muttered, but Oda cut him off.

“You really are crazy. That just is impossible. No one can do it, not even you. Yuuri’s even younger than you, there’s no way he can do that jump!”

Viktor smiled, “He can already do that jump. He can’t land it, but the point deduction from a fall would only bring it down to the level of a Lutz, so it’s not a major risk to include it.”

Oda and Minako both stared, while Celestino more looked mad at Viktor for spilling the beans on Yuuri’s future talent.

“Viktor,” he chided, “I know you mean well, but if Yuuri’s going to attempt that jump he’s got to train it. He only has three months till Worlds. It’s too risky, he could get hurt.”

Yuuri sighed, and Viktor replied, “But he’s already been training it, didn’t he tell you?”

Celestino’s neck turned so fast he might have pulled it. A long string of Italian that none of them understood was flying at Yuuri. He wasn’t sure what his coach was saying but he really didn’t need a translator because Minako was in his face too, lecturing sternly in Japanese about safety.

“I know!” he shouted. “Look, I know I shouldn’t have been doing it but I never trained it alone and I always checked in with the school doctor to make sure nothing was even a tiny bit injured after practice. I only started training it because Mila wants to add a Quad Toe Loop to her programs and she asked me to make a deal with her that we’d train together. I didn’t have any intention of pushing it, I just wanted to help he get past her Grand Prix performance.”

“She’s doing much better now,” Viktor chirped up, unhelpfully.

Yuuri stared at his coach, “I’m sorry, Coach. I know I shouldn’t have done it. Viktor lectured me every day, but I didn’t listen. It was dumb.” He spotted Viktor’s smug smile out of the corner of his eye, clearly enjoying being right.

Minako looked like she was going to lecture Yuuri severely later. It was clear she knew he’d been using magical means to heal any injuries, though he didn’t feel too bad since it was just bruising.

Oda cleared his throat, disrupting the muttering of his coaches. “I’d like to see it.”

Celestino looked ready to argue but Yuuri cut him off, “I want to do it. I can do it.”

Celestino looked torn, turning to the others before finally nodding. “Just remember to land safely like you were taught.”

Yuuri nodded vigorously and slid onto the ice, taking several laps to get his legs warm before performing a few small jumps to get the feel of the ice. Finally when he was ready he looked towards Viktor who smiled reassuringly to him before alerting the others that it was time.

Yuuri skated hard and fast around the ice, picking up the speed he needed, carefully controlling his positioning, readying his body and mind before throwing himself into the air.

It lasted for a very long time, each turn spinning in slow motion as he counted each rotation until his skate touched down on the ice. For the smallest of moments he thought he might hold the landing, before his momentum pushed him just a bit too far and he skidded across the ice. It was actually one of his least painful falls, for which he was grateful.

Viktor cheered while the other three just stared. Yuuri picked himself up and skated over to Viktor, happily accepting his hug. “That was the best one yet,” Viktor whispered. Yuuri smiled and nodded.

“Yuuri…” Minako’s voice cracked a bit as she suddenly found her voice. “Yuuri! You can do a Quad Axel?!”

Viktor chuckled and suddenly everyone’s brains caught up as Celestino launched into Italian again and Oda was now complaining about ‘all these monster kids’. Minako was just gushing at him like a proud parent.

Yuuri spent the rest of the day in a never ending stream of practice, running his new Short Program again and again, hammering the new order into his mind. Once he was able to run it 3 times without messing up his transitions, Celestino had him begin training his Free, starting on the ice before moving to Minako’s studio where they danced through it dozens of times.

He was so tired by the end of the night Minako had to drive him home, but at least he felt confident he could mostly perform the program now. With the foundations set, he could focus on reinforcing the program in his mind for the rest of the week. Polishing it up for competition would come later.

 

If Yuuri had thought any of his practices in the past year were difficult, none of them came even close to what he endured over the next week. Each day included a long run with Makkachin and Viktor until they met up with Vicchan and Minako for intervals at the beach that had even Viktor gasping for breath.

Then it was off to Ice Castle for hours of skating – drilling his new programs again and again. Viktor observed and helped show Yuuri how to perfect certain moves and jumps.

Minako would sometimes drag Viktor off to her studio for additional practice, usually whenever Yakov would call and complain to her that his student was looking sloppy. Once Yuuri couldn’t skate any longer he’d be off to Minako’s to work on perfecting his movements, while Viktor was back at the rink, working remotely with Yakov.

Yuuri’s programs were strong. The technical scores were beyond anything he’d attempted so far, and the music and themes made him feel confident and happy on the ice. He’d loved his old short program, but he wondered if he wasn’t quite mature enough to be able to skate such a sad program without subconsciously bringing himself down. He didn’t blame the program for his most recent anxiety attack, after all, he’d skated amazingly thanks to the program, but forcing himself into that mindset probably wasn’t a good idea.

However, there was something missing from both programs that had all of his coaches scratching their heads.

“There was just something about your short program at Nationals,” Viktor mused, “it felt so open, like you were bearing your soul on the ice.”

“Probably because I was in the middle of an emotional breakdown,” Yuuri muttered.

“Probably,” Viktor agreed. “I wonder how we can bring that back out without messing with your mind.

 

They did get to use the Onsen together, several times in fact, but they were both so tired and sore that it was far from romantic or even fun.

“I always thought Yakov was bad, but now I understand your stamina. Minkao is evil,” Viktor breathed out one night as they soaked together.

“Wasn’t she like that with you?”

Viktor seemed to think about it. “I don’t know. I remember practicing a lot, but I don’t know if it was this bad. Then again I was only 12.”

Yuuri snorted, “Like that makes a difference. She’s been drilling me this hard since I was six. Either she was really nice to you or you’ve just forgotten.”

Viktor grimaced, “Probably the latter. My memories are still really bad from that time. What about you?”

“Just dreams still. Nothing solid. I tried asking her, but she said not yet.”

Viktor nodded, “Same.”

“You asked?”

“Every day.”

Yuuri sighed and leaned back against the edge of the pool, enjoying the water. “At least I’m just running the programs a few times tomorrow to rest up for the officials.”

“Not too much rest, Yuuri, it’s New Year’s Eve, we have to celebrate!” he cheered.  “I’ve never spent New Year’s Eve with friends…or in Japan! Is it fun here? What do you do?”

“Well, there are lots of traditional foods we eat like mochi and soba, and the temples will all ring their bells. Most families do a big house cleaning but since we live in an Inn that’s basically every day for us. We also usually go to a temple, but not until a few days later since we’re busy with guests.”

Yuuri thought for a moment and then smiled, “We also like to stay up all night and watch the first sunrise of the New Year.”

“That sounds really nice.” Viktor sighed happily. “We probably shouldn’t stay up all night, but maybe we can set an alarm and go for a run on the beach and watch it there?”

Yuuri blushed, “You want to watch it together; just the two of us?” Viktor nodded and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile back at him. “We’d better get out of the baths now. I really want to kiss you.”

“You could do it here,” Viktor suggested wickedly.

Yuuri rolled his eyes, knowing Viktor wasn’t serious. Someday they’d be ready for that, but kissing naked in the Onsen would definitely lead them beyond where either of them were comfortable. Though Yuuri could fully admit that he liked the idea.

After drying off and covering themselves in some of the Inn’s robes, they made their way back into Yuuri’s room, and enjoyed hugging and kissing each other until they both fell into a peaceful sleep.

 

The next morning Yuuri and Viktor walked into the Ice Castle to find it completely deserted.

 “Where is everyone?” Yuuri asked, looking around as Minako and Viktor entered behind him with the dogs.

Minako pushed them both towards this ice, replying, “I think I’ve figured out what’s missing from your skating and I needed to test it.”

Yuuri blinked in surprise. “So why isn’t Celestino here?”

“It has to do with magic, doesn’t it?” Viktor whispered.

Minako grinned and patted Viktor on the head, “You always were an exceptional student.” Viktor stuck his tongue out which made Minako laugh. She looked back to Yuuri, “I asked the Nishigoris to leave us alone in the rink until lunch time, and your Dad is taking Celestino and Oda on some errand to keep them busy.”

Yuuri frowned, “What does my magic have to do with my skating?”

“Get stretched and laced up while I talk, we don’t have all day. I’m not exactly sure what we’ll need to do, so you both need to be ready.”

They nodded and both sat on the floor to finishes their stretches while Minako explained.

“You two are very different when it comes to your magic, as I’m sure you both know. While Yuuri tends to be more studious, learning through careful study, Viktor tends to just feel his way towards his magic. It’s something I noticed when you both were kids.

“The difference is that because of your approaches it’s easier for you, Yuuri, to keep you magic under control. Meanwhile Viktor’s used to practically slip out of him all of the time, or at least, that’s what I was told. I encouraged your approach to magic, dancing and skating when you were a child because it kept you safe, but I think its limited your skating. I think you’re still holding back something.

“Your programs this week look perfect, but you’re never more beautiful on the ice than when you lose yourself.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and pulled up the video from so long ago, of Yuuri skating his first Quad.

“Listen,” she said softly.

They both did, intently, but there was nothing but the blades. “There’s nothing,” Yuuri began, “just my skates…”

But then he heard it, and he could tell Viktor did too by the way his eyes brows scrunched.

“What is that?” Viktor whispered.

Minako went over to the computer where she had Celestino’s editing program open. “I enhanced the sound to try and get a better feel, but it’s still quiet.” She hit play and the sound of blades filled the room over the rink’s speakers.

Yuuri had never heard blades so cleanly, and couldn’t help but think he should record Viktor skating and use it as a calming soundtrack. But then there was something else. Music.

Music that he knew hadn’t been playing that day…music he’d heard before.

Viktor gasped, “I know that song!”

Yuuri was stunned. “Y-you do?” he studdered.

Viktor nodded vigorously, “I heard it when I first met you at Hogwarts. It was really quiet so I thought maybe you had music playing on your phone.”

“You heard it before that, actually,” Minako noted with a curious look in her eyes. “I’m fairly certain that’s the purest form of Yuuri’s magic, and when he gets excited and his grip on his magic slips, it comes out.”

She looked at Yuuri, “As you both know, given the way you’ve been pestering me all week, when you were 11 I taught Viktor and brought him here. The two of you met in my studio. What do you remember of that day?”

Yuuri looked at Viktor who shrugged and motioned for Yuuri to go first.

“I remember being really excited because I had missed you. I ran all the way here, but when I got here there was a note you were gone, so I came in and just started dancing. I was alone, but it was like I could feel your warmth. Then I looked up and saw a boy my age and I took his hand and asked him to dance with me. Though I asked in Japanese so I guess you didn’t understand?” Yuuri asked, looking at Viktor.

“I didn’t, but I had been down the hall waiting in Minako’s office when I heard this music, so I went to see what it was, and that’s when I saw you. You looked like you were so happy and I remember this feeling of desperate want. You saw me and pulled me into the room.”

“That’s it?” Minako asked.

Both teens nodded and Yuuri looked at Viktor, “You never told me about the music.”

He smiled, “I’ve been dreaming a lot since coming here, but I didn’t really connect it until I heard the music behind your skating. I don’t think its normal music. It’s like it floats into your subconscious rather than through your ears, though you can hear it.”

“Exactly,” Minako smiled. “The person Yuuri was before I left was open, loving and friendly. He was always approaching others, pulling them to join him at whatever he did. After that day it all changed. He started closing off, and even with those he was close to like Yuuko, there was still a barrier, like he was holding himself back.”

Yuuri struggled with this new information; it was so hard to remember anything from when he was 11. “What happened that day, Minako? Why Can’t I remember?”

She shook her head, “It happened after you left my studio. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know all the details. Not really. I’m not going to tell you what I know about it now,” she looked a bit sad. “I think if I did it would upset you. There’s a chance you’ll remember on your own, you remembered Viktor after all. I’d rather give you a bit more time to see if it comes to you.”

“Did something happen to me too?” Viktor asked, curiosity burning in his eyes. “Is that why I can’t remember anything from back then?”

Minako sighed, “You remember the things that happened, you just don’t remember the things that brought you back. Like I said. You two are almost opposites.” Viktor sighed, looking frustrated at his lack of memories.

“But, I think you’re ready to break through, Yuuri, and I think if you do it’ll help Viktor.”

“Really?” Yuuri couldn’t help but hope. Viktor’s sadness had been better, but it was still there, Yuuri could feel it. If he could help somehow, he’d do whatever it took.

Minako nodded, “I want you two on the ice, but Viktor, defer to Yuuri’s movements, let him lead. Yuuri, I want you just to pour everything you have onto the ice. Don’t worry about form or technique. Focus on Viktor and try to speak to him, trying to tell him what you want to do with just your skating.”

Yuuri nodded and stepped onto the ice, feeling Viktor slide up behind him and slip his arms around Yuuri’s waist. “Do you think this will work? Do you think this will help us get our memories?”

Yuuri shrugged, leaning back against Viktor, “I don’t know, but it doesn’t hurt to try. I’m just not sure how to skate so that you’ll ‘hear’ me.”

Viktor kissed his cheek and whispered, “Just skate your feelings for me. You always understand me when I skate that way; I know I’ll understand you if you do that same.”

Yuuri took a deep breath and nodded, slowly pulling himself from Viktor’s arms and circling the ice a few times, Viktor sliding along right behind him. He let his mind float away, focusing only on the sounds of their blades, only aware enough to keep from smacking face first into one of the barriers.

For a long while it was quiet, with nothing happening, but as fatigue began to kick in, his mind quieted and Yuuri followed his own heart as he began to carve into the ice with new energy.

He wanted to show Viktor how he felt. The years of watching and chasing, the nerves that he wasn’t worthy, the longing to ease Viktor’s hurt and protect him from the world. He didn’t know how to skate a program like that, but slowly a melody started to grow inside him, so familiar, as if it were a part of his own DNA.

He knew the song, he’d heard it for his whole life, but it wasn’t a duet; it was a story. He stopped and turned to Viktor.

“Watch me, please.”

Viktor nodded and moved back to the barrier while Yuuri moved towards center ice, a certainty within him as he planted his skates. How did that song go? How did it feel when he thought of Viktor; when he approached those moments where his whole life changed? Was this one of them?

He smiled. It could be one of those moments if he let it.

He took a deep breath and then opened himself up, letting his heart lay bare.

The music started to play and without a thought in his mind he skated.

He could imagine it, skating to this song sometime in the future. He had a blue coat with a mesh back and dark blue pants. He was older and taller, making him look more elegant, more like Viktor when he moved. His hair was slicked back, and maybe a little longer; maybe he’d grow it out. He’d move with confidence and love, and Viktor would be watching – Viktor with short hair because he no longer needed his hair to grow.

Viktor needed to open his heart too. They loved each other, but both of them had closed off a part of themselves to others. Yuuri understood, as the music flowed and his skates moved, that a part of him had been afraid to let people in ever since he was a kid. He might not know why, but he recognized it now.

Had he ever really tried to make friends at Mahoutokoro? Yes, people had judged him, and he had found Phichit, but there were others he was friendly with. Had he always kept them at an arm’s length and not the other way around? Yes, people judged him for his lineage, but maybe he had held himself back to protect himself.

What had happened that day? Why didn’t he remember? It wasn’t meeting Viktor, that was a wonderful memory, a memory that was slowly filling in the longer he skated; but it was after that, just a few hours later everything changed. What could have made him fear others the way he knew now he did?

Could he break down those walls and really let others in?

Maybe he already had. Hogwarts was different for him in so many ways. Maybe he wasn’t searching for an epiphany, but just needed to recognize the path he was already on.

He grinned, remembering what Guang Hong and Mila had said months ago. He was on a path alongside Viktor, and neither could turn away from it now.

It was time for the next step.

His blades jumped into a Triple Flip and the music grew quiet and he slid his body into long flowing movements until completing a Triple Axel. Could Viktor hear it? The song of his heart.

Quad Toe Loop.

Loving Viktor had been the beginning, but it wasn’t the end. They were together now, it was just the start. Neither of them was pulling the other forward, they were moving together. Viktor had helped Yuuri just days ago when he was hurting, but Yuuri had created this chance for himself.

Now he would show Viktor his love, and show Viktor that he too needed to let go of the past and to open his heart.

There was really only one way to do that. He smiled, knowing the song was coming to an end and jumped into a Quad Flip. Viktor’s jump. He finished the program with a combination spin before extending a hand right to where he knew Viktor was.

‘Your turn Viktor, meet me where I am.’

The music faded, only to be replaced by a very loud sniff as Minako and Viktor both stood with tears in their eyes, but Yuuri only had eyes for Viktor as a silent conversation passed between them for a long moment before they both slid to each other.

“That was beautiful, zoloste.”

“It’s how I feel for you.”

Viktor hugged him tight. “We are both so bad at words.”

Yuuri nodded, “We’re even worse at opening ourselves up. I know there are things in my past that scare me. I remember being so defeated by how everyone treated me. I thought I had moved passed them and I was stronger now, but I wasn’t. I was just running. And I think your running too.”

Viktor stared at him, unmoving for several long seconds. “Do you love me Yuuri?”

Yuuri smiled, unafraid now, “Yes, and I hope you can learn to love yourself.”

Viktor leaned in, hugging Yuuri tight. “Will you wait for me until I do?”

Yuuri kissed him softly, “Of course, just don’t take too long, ok? You’re so much more beautiful than you know, and I just want you to see yourself the way I do.”

“So you understand how I see you now?”

Yuuri chuckled softly, “Maybe not entirely, but I know that all those negative thoughts are lies. I’m going to skate with love, because I’m surrounded by it every day.”

“About time you figured it out,” Minako chuckled, leaning on the barrier and openly eavesdropping.

Viktor sighed and turned to her, “So I have something like that in me too?”

Minako nodded, “Not the same, but yes, you have your own magic. When wizards let their magic out it can be dangerous, but after years of training your art, your body and mind will be able to shape it around you as an extension of your performance. But it requires you to make yourself vulnerable and open. I’ve seen you do it once before, actually.”

Viktor looked up, “You have?”

She smiled, “It came out when you were dancing with Yuuri. It was the first time you ever used magic since your mother’s death. After that we were able to slowly bring your magic out until you could use it normally.”

Viktor seemed to thinking about that, “So in order to do what Yuuri did…”

“You have to open yourself up. Accept all the bad and good about yourself and your life. Trust that those around you will love you and protect you. It’s vulnerability, more vulnerability than you’ve ever shown before.”

Viktor grimaced, “That’s hard.”

“Yes,” Minako agreed, “it is. But you can do it.”

Yuuri squeezed Viktor’s hand, “Remember in Berlin when Durand and your dad attacked you? Remember what happened?”

Viktor swallowed, “Everyone stood up for me.”

Yuuri nodded, “That’s because we all love you. I know it’s hard, but you can trust us.”

“There’s no rush,” Minako reached over the barrier and ruffled Viktor’s hair, “just think about it. Love doesn’t fix all your problems; it just gives you the strength to face them.”

Viktor swallowed but nodded. “I’ll try.”

“That’s all we ask,” Yuuri whispered.

Yuuri started running through his programs after that, slowly letting more and more of his soul leak into the performance, while still holding back his magic. It was slow work, but as he skated his programs felt more and more honest.

Oda and Celestino arrived with lunch right around noon, both looking impressed as they saw Yuuri flow along the ice.

“It’s not perfect,” Celestino noted, “we still have edges to sharpen up, but you’ve got the overall program set and the performance feels better than ever before.”

Oda agreed, “It feels really pure. Edges, jumps and transitions can be sorted out, but performances like that don’t happen overnight.” He chuckled darkly, “I don’t think I’ll be Japan’s Ace for much longer.”

Yuuri stared in shock, not quite believing what he was hearing.

“It’s like his body is creating music,” Viktor whispered.

“Exactly!” Oda exclaimed, “You can’t teach that. Skate like that tomorrow and there will be no problems.”

Celestino moved forward and patted Yuuri on the shoulder, “If you skate like that at Four Continents, you won’t just make the podium, Yuuri, you’ll win. I don’t know how World’s will go since we both know Viktor’s going to surprise us all, but by this time next year you won’t just be known as his boyfriend. You’re going to be a force all your own. No one will be questioning your talent at next year’s Nationals.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile, relaxing as Viktor squeezed him. Being Viktor’s boyfriend was something to be proud of, but knowing he could stand up strong beside him felt even better.

 

Practice went well for the rest of the day. Yuuri would never want to compete with his new programs as they were, but for only a week’s work, they felt amazingly comfortable. It was with this hopeful attitude that he ventured home, hand-in-hand with Viktor, while Minako, Celestino and Oda trailed behind, happily chatting about the day to come.

“Suuushi,” Viktor sang, practically skipping along beside him. “Mama Katsuki is making us sushi and soba and mochi!”

Yuuri laughed at his silly boyfriend who was way too excited at the prospect of food. He’d learned quickly this week that Viktor adored all food, and especially Yuuri’s mother’s cooking. She had promised them all a New Years Eve feast and Viktor was just a little excited.

“Yuuri, do you think I can marry into your family? I love your parents.”

Yuuri blushed, holding back the strong desire to stammer after Viktor’s marriage comment. That was an all together too tempting train of thought. “They love you too, Vitya.”

Viktor beamed and happily opened the Onsen’s door, only to be nearly blasted back by cheers as dozens of teenagers suddenly greeted them at the door.

“Yuuri!” Phichit cried, happily running to them.

“Phichit?!” Yuuri stared around. Yuuko and Takeshi were there, as well as Otabek and Yurio, but there were also kids from his Elementary school, quite a few of his friends from Hogwarts and even half a dozen of his Muggle Studies classmates from Mahoutokoro. “What are you all doing here?”

Phichit smiled devilishly, “Please, you can’t perform to an empty rink tomorrow! I just invited a few people…and then they invited a few people.” He shrugged.

“A few people?” Yuuri stared in horror. There had to be at least 30 people here.

“Yuuri!” Riko came bouncing over happily. “Your family’s Onsen is so cute! My Mom came with me and she hasn’t stopped talking about the baths since we got here. By the way, she’s taking us and Phichit shopping later this week. After I told her about the fiasco of trying to dress you for the Grand Prix she insists on making sure ‘such a lovely skater looks the part off the ice’. Her words, not mine.”

“Riko…” Yuuri really wasn’t sure what to say.

“Not fair,” Viktor pouted. “I want to go, but I need to get back to practice as soon as tomorrow’s over.”

Riko and Phichit both grinned, pulling them into the room, “Don’t worry, we’ll send you pictures along the way.”

Viktor had cheered at that and excused himself to go greet Yurio and Otabek, who were both happily eating bowls of Katsudon.

Yuuri was surrounded by friends, old and new, who were all excited to see him in a special exhibition.

“Is it true this is a new program?”

“You were so amazing at Nationals, Yuuri!”

“It’s so boring at school without you now!”

“He’s ours now!” Charlie sank down beside him and smiled. Ari was sitting with some of Yuuri’s old Mahoutokoro friends across the table, chatting happily, while Jo was in the corner with Yuuko and Takeshi, happily chatting about music, from what Yuuri could overhear. Seung-gil and Guang Hong were there are well, talking to some of his old Muggle friends from Hatesetsu.

“Wow,” he couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

“Pretty cool, isn’t it,” Charlie smiled, punching his shoulder lightly. “So many different people all together like this.”

Yuuri nodded, “It’s kind of like a dream come true for me.”

Charlie grinned, “Me too honestly. I was home schooled when I was a kid, but there was this girl down the road I really liked. It was just an innocent crush, but I still see her at the holidays sometimes. I always hope there’s a chance that we can have this,” he motioned to the room.

Yuuri smiled, “Yeah, this is nice.”

Charlie grinned. “Clara says she’s sorry to miss this, by the way, but Imara invited her to her home for the holidays. They’re looking after some sort of rare animal, you know how they are. Couldn’t tear them away.” He smiled fondly at the thought and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile too.

The night wore on, the Onsen’s kitchen hard at work as his family and the staff served dozens of bowls of Katsudon, great platters of sushi, heaps of soba, and mounds of mochi.

Oda and Celestino were soon in conversation with Yurio and Otabek, discussing Yuuri’s strength training and Yurio’s upcoming transition to the seniors. Yuuri could see Oda mentally taking notes despite the multiple bottles of sake he was enjoying alongside Celestino and Minako, the latter of whom was deep in conversation with Riko’s mother.

It had been a surprise to Yuuri to discover that they were related, far closer than Otabek and Viktor were.

“Mama’s set to be the next head of the family,” Riko informed him covertly. “From what you’ve said about Minako, I couldn’t help but wonder if we were related. Turns out we are. My mom’s interested in bring some of the castoff branches back into the family.”

“So Minako would become an Ito?”

Riko shrugged, “Who knows, but mom thinks it’s foolish to keep pushing such archaic views.”

Viktor plopped down beside them, snuggling against Yuuri. “Yurio says Apparition is bizarre but it’s worth it for Katsudon.”

Yuuri and Riko both snickered at that.

Yuuri looked up at the clock, surprised to see it was nearly midnight. “We should sleep,” he whispered.

Viktor nodded, “Might as well wait until midnight, this crowd is bound to wake us with New Years cheers.”

Yuuri agreed, “We’ll celebrate with everyone then sleep.”

“Do you still want to see the sunrise?”

“Yeah.”

Viktor grinned, “Good, I already set my alarm.”

Yuuri smiled, looking around. “I wonder where everyone will sleep.”

“Oh I sorted that out,” Jo suddenly joined their group. “I got here early this morning, and knowing Riko, I had a feeling quite a crowd would arrive, so I warned your mother. We uh, made some modifications to a few of the rooms that our lot will stay in so we could accommodate everyone. Fortunately most of the others are local so they’re all sleeping at home.”

Yuuri nodded, “Clever.”

Jo smiled, “I have a feeling your family’s Onsen is going to be a popular destination for our kind after tonight. Riko’s mother alone is a force to be reckoned with, but everyone else is really having a good time. I’ve seen multiple people sending texts to their friends and families talking about how good the food and baths are.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but feel warm inside. His family did so much for him, and if he could help the family in some way, even if it was just promoting the business, then he was more than happy to do so.

“It’s time!” someone yelled and a room full of heads turned towards the TV where a countdown of the final seconds of the year had already begun.

Yuuri felt Viktor’s arms loop around him and he turned to face his boyfriend.

“This has been the best year of my life, zoloste,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri felt tears well in his eyes, “Really? Even with…”

Viktor nodded, “That’s in the past now, and in some small way it led me to you. I wouldn’t trade a moment of my life for anything if it meant I lost you.” Yuuri understood the words, understood their meaning.

The room grew quiet before the countdown began.

“10,9,8,7!”

Yuuri stared into Viktor’s eyes, not needing the words, and yet wanting them desperately.

“6,5,4!”

He would wait forever to hear them if he needed to.

“3,2,1!”

But he didn’t want to wait; he didn’t want to wait to hear them, or to say them.

“Happy New Year!”

 “I love you, Vitya,” Yuuri’s eyes filled with all the emotion he felt inside.

“I love you too, Yuuri,” Viktor whispered, eyes full of emotion. “Thank you for loving me. Seeing you today…it made me want to love myself again. I think I’m ready to forgive the things that have been done to me, and maybe if I do, I can finally move on.”

Yuuri nodded, tears spilling down his cheeks as they came together and kissed, they’re lips speaking promises far beyond that day.

There were cheers and hollers but all Yuuri could hear was the beating of his own heart, and the soft music that played within his soul.

 

Yuuri and Viktor woke shortly before sunrise the next morning, neither exactly pleased to get out of bed, but both eager to see the sunrise. They had managed to slip away from the party rather quickly after midnight, but the festivities had raged on well into the night. Yuuri had even been forced to cast a spell on his door to block out the noise so they could sleep. Now in the dim grey of morning, the house was peaceful, the only sounds being the soft snores of Makkachin and Vicchan from where they slept together on the floor next to the bed.

The two teens quickly dressed, and with a bit of coaxing, they convinced the poodles to follow them out for an early morning run.

Yuuri's parents were already awake, quietly cleaning up the few remnants of the party the night before and preparing for the day. They wished Yuuri good luck with gentle hugs before he slipped out of the Onsen with Viktor.

“Someday,” Viktor mused, “I'm going to rent out the Onsen for a week just to give them a vacation.”

Yuuri smiled, “They do have outside staff, so they take holidays, but they love their work. I think they're saving their vacations for things like weddings and grand babies.”

Viktor grinned, “Well, I can handle the one, but I'm afraid I'm not equipped to provide the other.”

Yuuri shook his head as he laughed, and they set off at a light jog, making their way to the beach, before settling down in the cool sand, their dogs on either side of them.

They watched the light slowly blossom in the sky. It was peaceful, and Yuuri felt no great urge to speak, a part of him imagining that Viktor already understood everything moving through his mind.

He threaded his fingers through Vicchan’s fur, enjoying the feeling of warmth, and the way his dog would lean into the touch. Viktor’s eyes were far away, but the fingers of his dominant hand were moving, swishing softly through the air, as if he were painting. After a while the movement stopped, but Viktor’s face seemed more content than before as he leaned his head against Yuuri’s.

Neither felt particularly inclined to move, preferring to just sit and watch the sun and the waves in the early morning quiet. Vicchan and Makkachin eventually grew bored with their vigil and began to play together in the sand, and Yuuri couldn't help but smile at the way Makka seemed to know of Vicchan's weakness, making sure never to run too far or too fast, always keeping his play gentle. Vicchan for his part seemed overjoyed to have a friend and happily pounced on Makka.

Yuuri leaned against Viktor and watched the dogs play, and he could sense Viktor's own happiness at watching them.

“Maybe McGonagall would let you bring him,” Viktor suggested.

Yuuri grinned, “I think I'll ask for next year. It'll be a lot of back and forth with practices so I'll see him every week. We will definitely need to make sure our boys see each other over breaks though.”

Viktor nodded, “I'll get a pet friendly hotel for worlds so they can both come.”

Yuuri smiled and looked out at the ocean. “During the GPF I asked Yakov if I could work under him after I finished school.”

Viktor looked up in surprise. “What did he say?”

Yuuri grinned. “Nothing really. But it wasn't a no.”

Viktor beamed, hugging Yuuri close. “You're sure you won't mind leaving Celestino?”

Yuuri shrugged, “I like my coach, but if I have to switch coaches to be with you then it's worth it.”

Viktor blushed, “Well, don't worry about where to live. You can live with me. I'll get a new apartment if need be. Actually I was already thinking of getting one. Yurio wants to get his own place, and I know he could handle it on his own, but I feel like he'd get lonely.”

“So you'd get a place the three of could share?”

“Maybe. Otabek and him are hitting it off though so maybe he won't need to live with me after school’s over. Otabek can live anywhere after all. His Quidditch salary will be good too. Apparently he's going to be joining team practices and be an alternate on the team next season. He'll be leaving school on weekends like us starting this spring.”

“Really?”

Viktor nodded. “We talked about it last night. He's worried about it with his brother coming to Hogwarts. If he's gone too much it'll be hard for him, but we think having Makka there will help.”

“If he likes Makka then I'll have to bring Vicchan next year for sure.”

“I think a lot of people would think it's weird a bunch of 7th years with a first year, but Beks is like a brother to me, I'd do anything for his family.”

Yuuri nodded, feeling much the same.

Eventually the chill in the air was too much to remain sitting and they began to walk along the beach, slowly making their way towards the ice castle.

“Do you want to practice until they get here?”

“I think I will just do figures," Yuuri said thoughtfully. “It helps to calm my mind, and I think it's fun, actually."

Viktor smirked and kissed the top of Yuuri's head affectionately, "I'll leave you to it then, I wouldn't want to ruin your designs with my skates."

Yuuri smiled and opened the rink's doors. The ice was smooth and quiet, the only signs of life were his skates already waiting on the counter for him, and a pair of dog treats beside them.

After a quick stretch, Yuuri slid on to the ice, letting his body move in the familiar patterns, keeping his edges sharp, and his mind clear.

 

The officials arrived just after lunch, chatting pleasantly with Oda as they entered, noticing Yuuri's diligent ministrations the moment they walked in. If they saw Viktor, they didn't say anything, simply watching as Yuuri traced patterns into the ice.

“It's good to see someone who still cares about fundamentals,” one of the men commented to Oda in quiet Japanese. Viktor's ears perked up, but no sort of understanding could be found in the language.

“Yes,” Oda replied, “he is a strong skater who focuses on fundamentals and artistry. Jumps have been his weakness but he's growing more confident in them. He told he's been training heavily to improve them for the past year. He has everything he needs to compete on the international level.”

“And what of his nerves? It seems they got the best of him last week.”

“They did, but he's working on it. I've watched him all week with his coaches, and I think now that they’ve seen it they're better able to spot the warning signs. Changing his programs is helping also. He has a new focus now.”

Any further conversation was halted however as the doors opened and dozens of people started streaming in. Yuuri's blades stopped on the ice as he happily waved to his friends.

“Who are all of these people, Oda-kun?” The officials asked.

“Yuuri's friends. From what I've gathered his friends didn't want him to face this alone, so they worked together to bring as many of their friends as possible here.”

The official nodded, “He seems to have quiet the assemblage of followers.”

“You'll understand once you talk to him, something about him pulls you in. You can't help but want to watch him.”

“The same goes for you I'm guessing?”

Oda smiled, “Yes. Don't get me wrong, I want to win. I'm not ready to give up being Japan’s ace, but I don't think it'll be as fun without Yuuri-kun nipping at my heels while I do it. I think that’s how Viktor feels as well. He sees Yuuri as interesting competitions as much as anything.”

The men chuckled and moved towards the barriers, accepting hot tea from the Nishigori's, and greeting Celestino and Minako. Oda wandered over to Viktor, “Its time.”

Viktor smiled and looked out to where Yuuri was standing on the ice, already in costume, ready to skate his new short program. “He's ready.”

Oda smiled and nodded; they really didn't need to say more than that.

 

Yuuri took several deep breathes as he finished skating his new short program. He'd remembered all the new transitions, and it had been cleanly skated for the most part. He'd stumble on the newly added quad flip, but he wasn't concerned. His focus now was catching his breath while he changed into his new costume and prepared for his new program.

Viktor was sitting with him in the changing room as he dressed, remaining quiet, hoping not to break Yuuri’s focus. Yuuri appreciated the action more than he could express, however, he didn’t need it right now.

He smoothly sat beside Viktor and leaned in, kissing him softly and slowly, trying to put even just a fraction of his feeling’s into the kiss, letting their lips linger together even after the kiss had ended.

“Skate like that and you’ll have no problems,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri nodded. “I’d better get going, I have a spot at World’s to earn.”

Viktor leaned in while giving a gentle nod. “I’ll be watching.”

They made their way back out to the rink and Yuuri felt a whisper of strength flow through his body as he looked around at all the people who had gathered there to see him.

He’d believed for so long that he didn’t really have any friends, that no one really thought he was that great of the skater. How could he compare to Viktor?

But as he looked back at his boyfriend’s face, he couldn’t help but be confronted with the look of love that was echoed around the room on so many of the faces now watching him. There was an excitement rippling through the room that for once felt energizing to Yuuri.

Celestino moved up to him and helped him check his skates and costume. “Don’t pull your new Quad. I want to keep that a secret.”

Yuuri looked up at him, wondering how Celestino knew the ghost of that very thought was flickering in his mind even now.

Celestino just stared him down, making it quite clear he needed to do as he was told now, and Yuuri sighed in defeat. “I guess I won’t be able to surprise anyone at Worlds if I spill the beans now, huh?”

Celestino nodded, “Your skating is improving at an incredible rate, faster than most skaters could ever even dream to accomplish. It’s an asset and a blessing we shouldn’t expect to last forever. Your body can only do so much. Let’s make the best use we can out of what we have.”

Yuuri nodded, “You’re right, coach. I mean, I haven’t even officially landed my Quad Flip yet. I should let that settle in first.”

Celestino chuckled, “Exactly. Now go show them why you deserve this chance.”

Yuuri slid onto the ice, taking the time to wave to his friends and even bump his fists with a few of them. He needed to feel this love right now, and in equal parts, he needed to tell them what it meant to him. He took a deep breath and settle in at center ice, letting his eyes lock with Viktor’s before the music began.

They were using the Japanese version of the song today, and Yuuri could sense the instant recognition from many who were watching; a small smile flitted across his lips as he let his body move and glide. He was loved; he could feel it all around him. It would make his new short program stronger, and it would give him the courage he needed for his free. He let it empower him as he let his feeling spill across the ice, skating with as much heart as he could, sharing the happiness in his heart with them all.

Viktor had choreographed the program to be a mix of lighthearted steps, and deep, powerful movements that pushed into massive jumps and tight spins. Keeping up with the mood of the program was half the battle, but it was almost easy for Yuuri as the song moved into the final climax, letting his emotions and desires spill out of him, pushing every movement as hard as he could, ending the program with his Triple Axel before finishing the program with his arm reaching out, the red chord prominent on his wrist.

He’d added that final position after having finally skated his magic because he knew he was reaching for love and for Viktor with every step he skated.

The small rink exploded with cheers and as Yuuri looked around he could see many with tears in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but release a few of his own. This program was what he’d needed and he could feel his magic swimming with joy right under his skin. This was what he was meant to do, this was love. This was a place you couldn’t reach unless you had a dream too large to bear alone.

He waved and skated to the side of the rink where he was wrapped in the arms of his coaches, Oda and Viktor all at once.

“Well done, Yuuri,” They all looked up to see the JSF officials watching them happily. “With a little cleaning up, those look like winning programs. I expect you won’t have a problem taking the World Championship from Viktor?”

Yuuri blinked. Beat Viktor? Was it even possible?

“Well,” Viktor said with a smirk, “I’m not planning on handing it over, but I wouldn’t mind losing to Yuuri.” He paused and looked Yuuri in the eye, “Will you come for me?”

Yuuri stared into his eyes and couldn’t help but laugh. Viktor looked so serious but Yuuri could see the laughter in his eyes. “Yes, I’ll come for you. I look better in gold than you anyways.”

Viktor snickered and the JSF officials laughed good naturedly. “Ah, to be young,” one of them muttered in amusement.

“We’ll expect big things from you at Four Continents, Yuuri, so practice hard.”

Yuuri bowed respectfully, “Yes sir. I will.”

The men smiled. “We’ll be releasing our Four Continents assignments within the hour. Oda, I expect you’ll be available to speak to the press?”

Oda smiled and nodded, “Of course. I’m going to keep helping Yuuri as well, at least until I’m cleared to practice again.”

They nodded, “Excellent. It’s good to know he’s in good hands. Our twin aces are sure to make us all proud.” And with those words, they waved and walked away.

Yuuri and Oda both stared at their backs. Minako was beside herself while Celestino and Viktor both looked confused, having not understood the official’s Japanese.

“Yuuri, what did he say?” Viktor asked, sounding very impatient.

Yuuri swallowed, “He called us Japan’s twin aces.”

Celestino whooped and Viktor hugged him. Oda turned and look at Yuuri.

“We’ll have to work hard together, Yuuri.”

Yuuri nodded, new determination in running through him. “Those Russians will be troublesome; we’ll need to do our best to put them in their place.”

Oda smirked and Viktor blinked, before grinning and whispering in Yuuri’s ear “Yes zoloste, put me in my proper place. I had no idea you wanted me under you so badly. I wouldn’t mind.”

Yuuri blushed harder than he ever had before; grateful at least that Oda and his coaches were talking to each other and hadn’t heard that. “Definitely going to need that leash,” he muttered and Viktor grinned wickedly.

 

An hour later they were all back at the Onsen watching the press conference being held at the JSF headquarters, where a different set of officials were announcing the line-up. They stated the delay was caused by wanting to wait for further information about Oda’s injury, and that they would be delaying the World’s announcement until after Four Continents for the same reason.

Oda’s phone immediately started ringing, and he answered reporter’s questions one after another.

The press conference continued where they confirmed the participation of the veteran skaters at Four Continents, explaining that with Takamura’s retirement, they wanted to be sure to have him represent Japan one final time in international competition as thanks for his years of hard work.

Then they announced that Yuuri would be going and showed a clip of his exhibition program. “We’ve met with this new skater this week and we believe he is ready for his first test on the international stage. We saw during his exhibition that he has the potential to be a major international threat, and Oda-san has graciously agreed to assist him in preparation for Four Continents so that his first international experience will be the best it can be.

“We are excited for the future of Men’s figure skating in Japan.”

The Onsen’s phone was suddenly ringing off the hook, as well as Celestino and Minako’s cell phones. Yuuri’s Instagram notifications went crazy as followers and tags piled on, all blurring together to Yuuri. Only Viktor’s post stood out to him:

_My boyfriend will be representing Japan at Four Continents! So proud of you Yuuri!!!_

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Yuuri’s friends came and went, the locals all going home well before dinner, while most of his old Mahoutokoro and Hogwarts friends stayed late into the night, taking over the unused banquet hall to quietly compare between their schools and discuss magic.

Yurio was the only Muggle remaining since he and Viktor would return home in the morning for practice. At first a few of the wizards seemed concerned speaking in front of him, but soon they were all happily answering his questions, and asking a few of their own.

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile at the scene before him, his only wish being that he could have included Yuuko and Takeshi in the conversations as well. He couldn’t hope that someday soon he could get permission to tell them; he made a mental note to ask Minako to ask. It seemed like there wasn’t anything Minako couldn’t do.

As the evening wound down, most of his friends headed home, either by Apparition or Floo, leaving only Riko, Phichit, Yurio, Otabek and Viktor at the Onsen with him. Riko’s mother had called her at some point, but after a bit of convincing she’d gotten permission to stay a few days at the Onsen.

It seemed Riko found Yurio (and his fashion sense) amusing. “We are going to have to hangout over the summer together,” Riko gushed after a 20 minute conversation about music. “You’ll bring him to visit, won’t you Otabek?”

“Actually I’ll have Quidditch practice all summer. I can take a few days off, but that’s about it. Viktor and Yuuri might have a bit more time.”

“Not likely,” Viktor sighed. “With school Yakov likes to work my programs harder in the summer than normal.”

Yuuri nodded, “Same. I didn’t have almost any days off. Even my rest days I was still working at the studio with Minako or traveling to competitions.”

“Are you going to do the summer circuit again this year?” Yurio asked. “You’d think you’d do less of the small competitions if you make Worlds.”

“I need experience. Compared to you I’m practically a beginner when it comes to competitions. It’s not as critical as last summer, but Celestino told me he already has me scheduled for a few competitions. Apparently I went to the Asian Open last summer and didn’t even realize it. They’ve invited me back.”

Yurio looked incredulous. “How do you go to something that big and not know it?”

Yuuri shrugged, but Phichit answered for him. “Yuuri was at competitions nearly every week last summer. Most of them were within Asia, but he went all over. Sometimes I’d come by the rink and he’d be surprised school was out, or scold me for skipping classes not knowing it was Sunday.”

Yuuri blushed, “It was really busy.”

Viktor hugged him closer, “That explains how you qualify for Four Continents. I kind of wondered about that. Japan can send who they want, but usually you need some high scores at other events.”

“You’re right. I didn’t even think of that,” Yuuri pondered. “I guess something like this was Celestino’s plan all a long.”

Viktor nodded, “He’s a good coach. Now, as your boyfriend who’s not going to see you for two weeks I’m going to insist on a little alone time.”

“Gross,” Yurio made a gagging sound and Yuuri blushed but didn’t argue, waving good night to his friends and following Viktor into his room.

They made their way quietly into Yuuri’s room, sitting down on the bed together. Despite what Yuuri was sure his friends assumed, his only desire in that moment was to talk with Viktor. Kissing and touching were wonderful, but just being with Viktor was enough to calm his heart. They sat, hands intertwined, just talking quietly together.

“Do you think they’ll have posters of you after Four Continents?”

Yuuri shrugged, “Please tell me you’re not planning to get one.”

Viktor chuckled, “Of course I am.”

Yuuri groaned, “Please don’t bring it to Hogwarts.”

Viktor smiled but grew pensive. “Actually I was meaning to say something. I don’t think you should bring this poster back with you.” He pointed to Poster Viktor who was watching them with a serene look on his face.

Yuuri blinked, “Huh? Why? Please don’t tell me you’re jealous!”

Viktor laughed, and Yuuri had to admit it was one of the sweetest sounds he’d ever heard. He could see Poster Viktor mirroring his expression.

“No, nothing like that. Remember how he seemed sluggish? The two of us talked this week; he’s fairly clever. The spell that made him move like that is pretty simple, but Muggle paper was never meant to hold that magic particularly well.”

“You mean the magic that made him is leaking out? Does that mean he’ll stop moving?”

Poster Viktor looked a bit sad and Viktor sighed, “I don’t know for sure, but I think he shouldn’t be at Hogwarts. There’s just too much magic there and I think it’s why he declined so fast. He’s looking a lot better now that he’s here.”

Yuuri looked up at the 2D Viktor and saw a sad smile on his face. He did look more lively, but still. “Won’t you be lonely? Yuuri asked.

Poster Viktor shrugged and mimed something.

“He says yes, but it’s better to be here with Vicchan then to fade away at your side. Plus you’ll be here on weekends so it won’t be too bad.”

Yuuri looked between them both, a feeling of guilt settling in his heart. “Did it hurt you? Being at Hogwarts?”

2D Viktor shook his head vigorously, pointing at the real Viktor happily.

“He wanted to make sure you found me; as much as he wants to be, he knows he’s not real and he really wanted the real me to find you. That’s why he was helping you with your skating.”

Yuuri watched as the inked Viktor slowly skated figures alone on the ice. It was terribly lonely.

“As soon as there’s a poster of me I want you to get it, Vitya.” Viktor looked at him curiously, as did Poster Viktor. “I don’t know if I can do it, but I’m going to sign it for you and put just as much magic into it as you did mine. I’m going to figure out a way to bring a piece of myself to the 2D you. I don’t want him to be alone!”

2D Viktor looked like he might cry; he was reaching forward in an expression of clearly wanting to hug Yuuri. Yuuri set his finger against the poster and the 2D Viktor raised his hand to press against the paper in the same place. They couldn’t feel each other, but it didn’t seem to matter, the connection was still there, passing between them.

Viktor leaned his head against Yuuri’s shoulder. “I feel really loved right now.”

Yuuri smiled, “Good, because you are. I know he isn’t you, not really, but I don’t want either of you to be sad. He’s a piece of you, and even a tiny piece of you hurting is too much, so I’m going to everything I can to fix it.”

Viktor smiled and looked at his 2D self. “We made a good choice.”

2d Viktor just smiled and nodded, shaping his hands into a heart.

 

The two weeks that followed went by entirely too quickly. Yuuri drilled his programs every day, his only rest day taken up by Minako driving him, Riko and Phichit to a nearby shopping district to meet with Riko’s mother to buy him some clothes; including a suit that they all thought wouldn’t embarrass Viktor (or Japan). It was a fairly embarrassing experience, made worse by Phichit’s steady stream of messages to and from Viktor for his opinions.

The big surprise came when Riko’s mother announced that she’d be paying for all of the clothes as Yuuri’s new sponsor. Apparently one of the family’s many businesses included a fashion magazine, and she planned to have them do an article featuring Japan’s newest skater.

Minako had had to take Yuuri’s want to prevent him from escaping after that.

He talked to Viktor every day, with calls first thing in the morning when Yuuri woke up, and again during one of Viktor’s breaks from practice. They were both working so hard that Yuuri really didn’t have time to miss him, or at least not to dwell on it.

He couldn’t complain too much however. Viktor had taken a lot of time to help him and with Europeans just a few weeks away, and Four Continents not long after that, Yuuri knew their days of leisure were largely behind, at least for a little while.

Finally, the start of term arrived. Most of their classmates had returned via train before the weekend was over, but Yuuri, Viktor and Mila were all waiting to the last possible moment, practicing deep into the night before returning to school.

“I wish I could bring him with me,” Yuuri moaned to Minako at dinner that night while he pet Vicchan affectionately. He was planning to leave his home as his family went to sleep, arriving just after lunch, and was enjoying a last evening together with his family. “I know I’ll be back on weekends but I’m going to be so busy, I’ll barely have time for anything but skating.”

Minako chuckled, “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him so he doesn’t get to lonely. Things are going to move very fast from here on out. Are you ready?”

Yuuri nodded, looking up at his family, “I think it was good I didn’t win at Nationals. The whole experience really taught me a lot, about myself, about my life. I’m going to skate even harder now. I love skating with my magic, and I loved having so many wizards in our home. I really want to bring wizards and Muggles together more, and I think I can do that through skating. So I’m going to keep working hard to be the best wizard and skater I can be.”

His mother and Minako beamed at him, while Mari ruffled his hair and his father smiled kindly. After many hugs and heartfelt goodbyes and see you soons, Yuuri gathered his things, turned on the spot, and returned to Hogwarts, not sure whether he’d just left home or just arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sniffles* my little babies are growing up. In the show everyone always says Yuuri creates music when he skates, so it was only natural that he can _actually_ create music with his magic. If you're wondering about Viktor's magic, there have been some hints (just as there were for Yuuri's). Minako is right though, from here on out, things are going to move very quickly, I can't wait!
> 
> In case you're thinking "aw man, no steamy scenes," well, something  _did_ happen, but Yuuri's a bit shy. Don't you worry though, Viktor's going to fill us all in on all the details next chapter. ;)
> 
> Here's the music for this chapter: [Short](https://youtu.be/7jsbgrs25nQ), Free - [English](https://youtu.be/3nkOvZaklNE)/[Japanese](https://youtu.be/a2GujJZfXpg). Yuuri's song is 'Yuri on Ice'. (The only versions on YouTube are silenced so you'll have to go to Spotify or iTunes for it.) Warning on the short version of 'Stand By Me' and the Japanese version of 'Sparkle', both videos contain footage from the game/movie, so if you don't want to risk any spoilers, don't look at the video.
> 
> Thank you all again for the amazing support you have all shown me. Someone [req'd](http://ajwolf84.tumblr.com/post/161376271887/yoi-fan-rec-friday) this fic this week and I super appreciate it! Keep an eye on tumblr for updates. I really want to do a little side chapter featuring Yurio and Otabek, so if you see this fic turn into a series soon, that's why.
> 
> Comments give me life! Feel free to ask questions or point out mistakes if you have 'em. Thank you for reading and I'll see you next week!


	34. A Quad Axel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter dives back into Viktor's story which means *points to the tags*. Nothing graphic, of course.

Viktor stared around the classroom and wondered if there was some sort of secret to surviving History of Magic lessons without lapsing into a coma. The Professor had literally died, maybe not teaching, but close enough.

He felt Yuuri’s foot gently tap his and was brought back to the present, and his never lengthening notes on the battle of….Yuuri must be trying to kill him. When Riko and Phichit had taken him shopping he’d been blushing in every photo they sent Viktor but the clothes they picked out were the perfect type for him.

Casual designer wears including fitted pants and jeans that flowed over his thick thighs and generous backside, shirts that clung just enough to hint at the firm abs and slim waist, and cardigans that made Yuuri look cozy and snuggly, but made his neck look long and slim. Viktor hadn’t been able to resist that long column just this morning, leaving behind a small mark that Yuuri, fortunately, hadn’t noticed yet.

Fortunately their uniforms weren’t nearly as well fitted as the casual clothes Yuuri now wore during their time off, but Phichit had encouraged him to slick his hair back on occasion off the ice, and Yuuri had done so today. The sleek hair paired with his blue rimmed glasses gave him an air that had Viktor practically panting with want and need, thus the reason why he shouldn’t even bother trying to pay attention in class today.

He wouldn’t have stuck with the class this long without Yuuri anyways. Viktor sighed softly and stared at his notes again, jotting down a few facts, trying to behave, lest he be disciplined by Yuuri. Not that he minded.

He grinned remembering New Years Day when he had said some especially naughty things in Yuuri’s ear in front of his coaches. From the outside one might think Viktor was the dominant one in their relationship, but oh no. Viktor would willingly get on his knees for Yuuri for the rest of his life. Not that their relationship was like that; a perfect blend of give and take that made Viktor’s insides swirl happily.

He couldn’t help but be excited to take their relationship further. Viktor had been happy to wait as long as it took but Yuuri had been an eager participant in their touching. He couldn’t help but smile thinking of how Yuuri had pushed him down on New Year’s evening and kissed down his chest, happy to leisurely explore Viktor’s body. Viktor had considered it the sweetest torture he was happy to endure for his zoloste, but then Yuuri had licked him and it had been all Viktor could do not to cry out in pleasure.

How could his little Katsudon be so forward? He’d stopped asking questions when Yuuri had eagerly proceeded to torture him eagerly with his mouth until Viktor had no choice but to give himself fully to his boyfriend, a trickle of thrill rolling down his back. He’d wanted to reciprocate, but Yuuri had just shook his head.

Now as he sat in class remembering it he felt a glow within his chest that made him long to bury his face into Yuuri’s shoulder and never leave. How much better would it be once they went all the way? He couldn’t wait to find out.

At least he thought he couldn’t, but ever since he got back from Japan something had been off. He sighed, hoping Yuuri wouldn’t notice. He was suppose to be opening himself up more like Minako suggested but it felt like something was in his way. Or maybe he was, but he just wasn’t aware of what was coming out. Dr. Petrov told him he was making progress but it didn’t feel like it. Everything was a mess.

The bell rang and Viktor blinked, looking down at his notes.

“Yuuri has pretty eyes.” Yuuri was leaning over and reading his notes out loud. “While that’s sweet, I don’t think that’s what the lesson was about.”

Viktor blushed and used his wand to erase the line. “Sorry, zoloste. I guess I was just distracted today.”

Yuuri smiled and intertwined their fingers, “It’s alright, Vitya. Just Herbology left for you; that should be better, right?”

“Da. I’ll make sure to focus lest any pesky plants decide to take a bite out of me.”

Yuuri grinned, “Good plan. I’ll see you at the rink?”

Viktor nodded and headed to the greenhouses. His mother had been a fairly accomplished herbologist; she generally preferred to grow more common plants like ordinary roses, though she used her magic to produce unique colorations that were the envy of all who saw.

He sat next to Sara during the class, her company usually a calming presence in their shared classes. Today however she seemed strained, distant and quiet. She hadn’t come to Yuuri’s skate though she had planned to, at least according to the text messages she sent Viktor. Mila had planned on coming too but then neither of them had which was odd for them. They were both exceptionally supportive of Yuuri afterall.

Fortunately Yuuri hadn’t seemed to notice them missing, caught up as he was in all of the other well wishers.

A creeper from a nearby plant began to snake its way up Sara’s arm and Viktor quickly batted it away. Sara jumped a little, finally snapping out of her reverie.

“Thanks, Viktor.”

“Is anything wrong?”

Sara blushed, “I um…I was debating if I should ask Mila out.”

Viktor had to work very hard to keep his voice down as he whispered fervently, “Yes! You should!”

“Really?” Sara looked a little relieved.

“Of course! You and Mila have liked each other for ages. I mean, you want to, right?”

Sara nodded. “It’s just hard. I was thinking of doing it after the GPF, but then Mila got so focused on skating I didn’t get a chance. Not that I don’t understand. She should focus on it; she’s so talented. But we barely even saw each other over break. I’m just worried she doesn’t feel the same as me.”

Viktor couldn’t help but smile fondly at Sara. “Well, Yuuri is probably better at these kinds of talks than I am, but isn’t it better to talk about it and find out? Maybe the timing isn’t right, but you won’t know unless you ask.”

Sara laughed softly, “Yuuri is really rubbing off on you, huh?”

Viktor grinned but didn’t make the dirty comment he was dying say. Those were reserved for Yuuri and his beautiful punishments.

After classes he headed to his room to change and was a bit surprised to find Makka missing. It wasn’t unheard of but Winky didn’t usually take him for walks when she knew Viktor would be in.

They mystery was solved minutes later, however, when he walked into the rink and found Yuuri already hard at work with Makka watching from the side along with Imara and Clara who were working on some Charms homework. Viktor greeted them as he stretched and laced up his skates before joining Yuuri on the ice.

“What’s the task for today?” Viktor asked as he slid up to Yuuri.

“I’ve got to get the step sequence down. It’s not clean enough.”

Viktor nodded as Yuuri showed him, pointing out a few things he noticed, “Try putting your hips into it some more. Your thighs are thicker than mine which gives you your power and stamina, but you’ll probably need to open up your movements a bit to compensate.

Yuuri blushed a little, “Maybe I should have Otabek help me slim out.”

“Absolutely not.”

Yuuri looked up, looking utterly confused by Viktor’s firm tone.

“Zoloste, you are I are different. We skate differently, and that means there are things that we will do differently. You make Axels look easy, and you can do powerful footwork better than anyone. I’m a bit more lithe so lighter footwork has always suited me.”

“I just have been feeling like maybe I’m a bit out of shape. I ate a lot over break and all these new clothes Riko’s mother bought me are so tight.” He looked down and blushed, and Viktor could help but surge forward and hug his adorable boyfriend.

“Yuuri, you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. You work incredibly hard; yes, we both ate a bit much over the break, but we also worked harder than we have in months. Our bodies needed that fuel; and if either of us gained any weight, which I’m not saying we did, then we’ll work it off in the next few weeks.”

Viktor pulled his boyfriend closer and continued, “And even if you do gain a bit of weight, I will still love you just as much. You’re gorgeous, and I have dreams about your thighs on an embarrassingly regular basis. Once we retire, we are sure to gain a bit of weight, but that won’t change how I’ll feel about you. Would you stop loving me if I had a little gut? What if I lost my hair?”

Yuuri giggled, “Of course not.”

“Then trust that the same is true for me.”

Yuuri nodded and they got back to work, Viktor polishing a few spins that had been traveling too much lately, while Yuuri tightened up the edges on his step sequences, making considerable improvements. Just watching him pound the ice was enough to make Viktor feel exhausted. An idea struck him while he was watching Yuuri flow through a beautiful Ina Bauer that frankly made him a little jealous.

“Yuuri, you know that song you make when you skate?”

Yuuri paused and nodded.

“You should skate it for the others sometime,” he nodded towards their friends. “I’m sure they’d all love to hear it. Maybe someone could even turn it into an arrangement so you could skate to it in competition some day.”

Yuuri furrowed his brow in thought, something that always sorely tempted Viktor to kiss him.

“That’s not a bad idea, and who knows how long it would take to get the music completed. Do you think Leo could help?”

Viktor smiled, “I’m sure he would.”

Yuuri smiled and skated over towards the barrier, happily chatting with their friends. Viktor slid slowly behind him, glad to see Yuuri’s confidence slowly growing day by day, knowing that he was helping in some small way.

“MAKKA NO!”

Imara’s shout suddenly jerked Viktor’s head up in pure panic as he witnessed Imara leaping over a table to where Makka was choking on something. A pile of wrapped buns sat on the table, snacks someone must have brought to share.

Viktor’s vision grew dark, panic swirling around him as he saw his dog gasp for breath. The world spun.

“Viktor!” Yuuri’s arms were suddenly around him as he stared forward, shaking himself to action, pulling his wand out of his back pocket. He could summon the bun out.

He was about to call the spell, when, much to his surprise (and Makka’s), Imara jammed her hand down his throat and grabbed the bun out in an instant, freeing the dog’s air passage a split second before the bun went too far and caused some serious harm.

Viktor nearly collapsed again, this time in relief. He took a brief moment in his mind to be impressed by Yuuri’s upper body strength, holding him steady when his legs went out from under him.

“Makkachin,” Imara spoke quietly, but firmly. “You know better than to steal snacks that aren’t meant for you. You could get hurt. Do you understand?”

Makka, surprisingly, looked like he did, woofing softly and bowing his head down to Imara.

Imara nodded, “Good boy Makkachin. You know Viktor would be lost without you. You have to be a good boy and take care of him.”

Makka looked up and woofed a bit louder this time, causing Imara to smile and scratch behind his ears.

“You’re a good boy Makka. Just don’t forget what we learned today.”

Makka barked happily and wagged his tail, licking Imara’s face in thanks.

“I think he really understands her,” Yuuri said, dumbfounded.

Viktor nodded, feeling equally as surprised. “Think she can teach him not to steal my socks?”

“I’m going to take him down to Hagrid’s before dinner, just to be sure,” Imara called out as Yuuri helped Viktor to the edge of the ice. Makka happily pounced on them as soon as their skate guards were on.

Viktor nodded, but sunk down onto his knees, wrapping his arms around Makkachin, his fingers curling into the tight curls. “Don’t scare me like that Makka.” He felt tears well up in his eyes as he buried he face into the dog’s fur.

“You need to be careful, Makka,” Yuuri whispered. “You know Vicchan isn’t big and strong like you. He needs you to look out for him. Don’t you want to live with Vicchan and take care of him?”

Makka whimpered a bit sadly and licked Viktor’s face. Viktor sniffed for a moment and then smiled at his big loveable pup. “Go with Imara now, she’ll take you to Professor Hagrid. I’ll see you later, ok?”

Makka woofed softly and then met Imara and Clara at the door where they were waiting to take him to Hagrid’s. Viktor watched as they headed down the hall, keeping their pace slow as both girls looked out for any signs of distress from the poodle.

They still had time before dinner, but Viktor had to admit, he wasn’t in a place to skate anymore. Just the thought of losing Makkachin…it was more than he could handle.

“Why don’t I skate for you?” Yuuri whispered as he pushed Viktor down on one of the benches.

Viktor looked up and blinked for a few seconds before nodding. Yuuri was instantly back on the ice and began skating his free skate. Viktor never knew how Yuuri did it, but sometimes it seemed stressful situations were Yuuri’s element. Yes, his jumps were a bit shaky, but the way he skated his heart out had Viktor’s heart singing.

Yuuri understood how afraid Viktor had been. The entire encounter had only lasted a few seconds but it had shaken him to the core. And yet, there was Yuuri, skating with so much strength and passion, making him feel like his own foundations were being rebuilt.

He couldn’t help but smile; Yuuri probably didn’t have any idea the love he inspired in others, now Viktor just needed to remind himself that he had strengths too. After all, he’d been inspiring Yuuri for years, surely that meant he was doing something right.

After practice they made their way to dinner, both a bit tired and sore, but smiling and hopeful. At the end Viktor had helped Yuuri polish up some of his weaker jumps, showing off just a bit. The way Yuuri looked at him when he completed the jump was one of the purest things he’d ever seen, and it refreshed him in ways he couldn’t explain. How was Yuuri even real? He really was far too good for this world.

“I wonder where Mila is?” Yuuri mentioned quietly as they made their way down the hall. Viktor grimaced; he hadn’t even noticed she was gone being so caught up with Yuuri and Makka. He was a terrible ‘big brother’.

“Maybe she was talking to Sara,” he replied. “Sara talked to me about Mila in class; she could have gone and found her before practice.”

Yuuri looked up at him, “Talk about what?”

Viktor waggled his eyebrows in response and Yuuri’s mouth took on a cute ‘O’ shape that made Viktor squirm in all the right places. The things Yuuri could do with those lips…

“What the…?”

Viktor looked up to see what had apparently gotten Yuuri’s attention. Instead of the usually sparsely crowded entry leading to the Great Hall’s open doors, a large crowd stood in front of the closed doors of the Hall. They both stared in confusion for a moment before they heard their names called.

Imara and Clara were back with Makka who looked exceptionally excited with all of the people around, but with a firm look from Imara, was staying put, sitting patiently and waiting for others to approach him. There was a small crowd of first years currently petting his soft curls affectionately, much to their delight.

“Hagrid says he’ll be just fine, though you might want to feed him soft foods for a few days just to let his throat rest.” Clara informed them.

Viktor nodded, “I’ll let Winky know. Thanks again. Both of you.” Viktor was starting to get the impression that Imara and Clara were a team. He wasn’t sure if there was anything romantic behind their relationship and didn’t want to assume anything, but it was clear that meant a great deal to one another and made each other stronger just being together. He could understand that.

“How do you do it?” Yuuri asked Imara softly, curiosity filling his eyes.

She shrugged, “My mother’s a very good doctor, and my father was always very good with animals. Best I can guess is a bit of that seeped into my magic. I’ve always been able to get animals to trust and listen to me so I can take care of injuries. It works best with pets though, especially ones like Makkachin who are so close to their owners.”

“Wow,” Yuuri breathed, “I’ll have to introduce you to my dog so you can tell him not run out into the street!”

Imara smiled, “I’d be happy to.”

Yuuri smiled happily in response just as the doors finally opened to the Great Hall. There was a murmuring from the front of the pack as people started moving into the hall. Viktor lifted up onto his toes and looked out over the crowd.

“There’s five tables!” he whispered excitedly. Right in the middle of the four tables, stretching across the width of the room was a 5th table. He supposed that meant there were technically 9 tables, but that was beside the point.

“Huh? Why?” Yuuri blinked, tipping up onto his toes excitedly. Viktor couldn’t help but admire the grace with which he moved as he perched up on his toes.

“The middle table is for those who want to sit with people from other houses,” Jo supplied as she moved up alongside of them, once again displaying her uncanny ability to know everything and show up at the perfect moment. “Some people complained about their tables being full of people not from their house, while others said they wanted to be rid of the house tables all together. This was a compromise.”

“I love it,” Yuuri breathed. Viktor couldn’t help himself and hugged Yuuri tight. He knew Yuuri had always found the division of the tables a source of anxiety, as much as he pretended otherwise. He didn’t want to choose between his friends, and he also didn’t like feeling like he was intruding.

Their group of friends quickly sat at the 5th table, the length filling up quickly with the transfers, Skating Club and DADA members. They were close enough to the other tables that if they sat near one or another, they could easily have a conversation with those seated at one of the usual house tables. It made the entire hall feel more lively. Viktor couldn’t help but enjoy the excitement.

He felt a bump at his leg and found Makka sitting under the table between Yuuri and him, looking up at him obediently. He’d almost forgotten his faithful pet had been outside with him in the excitement over the tables. “Be a good boy Makka and I’ll sneak you a treat, alright? No stealing anything.”

Makka licked his fingers and settled down.

“Talk about trial by fire,” Yuuri smiled and watched Makka as the plates suddenly filled with food, and the air was permeated with the succulent smells. Makka’s nose twitched expectantly, but he remained still, watching them for permission from beneath the table.

“Wow.” Viktor had to admit, he was impressed.

At the very end of dinner, with an approving nod from Imara, he handed Makka a small piece of chicken which Makka happily took.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were a wizard,” Viktor joked lamely, causing an eye roll from Yuuri and a soft chuckle from Imara.

The rest of the night was spent in studying in the Gryffindor Common Room, which was quickly becoming one of Viktor’s favorite places in the castle. There was a cozy fireplace and squishy chairs, with a steady hum of noise and just enough activity to keep his mind engaged, but not so much that he found himself hopelessly distracted.

It was also close to Yuuri’s room so if things did get a bit too lively they’d retreat there for some quiet study time. It was a close call whether he preferred Yuuri on the ice or in a bed. Not just for dirty reasons, of course. Just being alone with Yuuri and reading or talking was always a highlight of Viktor’s day.

Tonight however they had curled up on an oversized chair in the corner of the common room and were writing out a Defense Against the Dark Arts paper on Vampires that Viktor honestly found fascinating. Between the two of them they were able to write the required 14 inches in no time.

“Do you think Mila and Sara had the talk?” Viktor asked as they shuffled their papers so Yuuri could do his Muggle Studies assignment and Viktor could review his Arithmancy calculations.

“Maybe,” Yuuri said distractedly, a quill between his teeth, “but they won’t get together yet.”

“You think so?”

“Mila’s way too focused on Worlds. She knows she can’t really give Sara the time a relationship deserves.”

Viktor stared, “How do you know?”

Yuuri looked up and smiled, “We’re just similar. Had you asked me out now I might say the same thing. The pressure and stress we’re both under now is so much greater than it was two months ago; it wouldn’t be a stable foundation for a relationship. I know the closer we get to Worlds the worse I’ll be at answering messages and making time for things like this, not because I don’t want to, but because it might stress me out too much. But we’re already together and comfortable, so it’s easier.”

“Oh my god you’re right, we’ve been together for two months!”

“That’s what you take from this?” Yuuri asked, exasperated.

Viktor smiled, “For me it’s more about how I feel. I don’t care how busy I am, I’d always make time for you.”

“I know.” Yuuri smiled back. “You stayed up all night to make my program for me after all.”

“That and being with you recharges me. Doesn’t matter how my day was, just sitting with you like this makes me feel completely better.”

“Me too. I didn’t always used to feel like that, but now, things have changed. This is the favorite part of my day.”

Viktor couldn’t resist hugging his boyfriend after that.

“I should also note that I cheated and Mila texted me and told me they talked and that she said she couldn’t start a relationship until after World’s because she couldn’t give Sara the attention she deserves. They’re sticking to be friends for now.” Yuuri grinned cheekily holding up his phone with the text conversation open.

Viktor’s mouth fell open, “You little…how do you even do this? Phichit would be jealous of the amount of dirt you have on people!”

Yuuri laughed, “What can I say; I’m just one of the girls.”

“I love how you say that without an ounce of shame. Very sexy.”

Yuuri blushed but shrugged. “Why should I be embarrassed? Think about the girls we know. Minako was the first Japanese Prima of the St. Petersburg ballet, Mila’s set to be the first woman to officially land a Quad in competition, Imara can save Poodles from choking and look like a super hero doing it.”

“Excuse me, Imara _is_ a super hero; did you see the way she jumped over that table?!”

Yuuri chuckled, “It just seems like good company to me.”

Viktor smiled and couldn’t help to agree.

 

The week went on, classes and practice taking up most of Viktor’s time. Imara soon insisted Makka come to all of Viktor’s meals with him so she could properly reinforce the lesson she taught him – though Viktor was pretty sure she just wanted an excuse to be able to play with the poodle.

By Friday Viktor felt thoroughly back into the swing of things, just in time to leave for practice. It was strange this time, however, knowing that Yuuri wouldn’t be here when he got back. Due to time zones and schedules, Viktor always came back right after evening practice on Sunday nights, arriving just in time for dinner.

Yuuri would be different, however. He’d arrive home in the dead of night and be forced to try to get a few hours sleep before practice Saturday morning. He’d then be coming back Monday morning, just before classes.

How Minako had explained this to Celestino neither of them knew, but he’d bought it, and that was all that really mattered. The thing that made Viktor really jealous was Yuuri didn’t even have to pack anything but his skates. When he’d come back from break he’d left a few things at home and his mother was doing all his washing up for him.

“Do you think Yakov would go to Japan?”

“Huh?” Yuuri asked, looking up from where he was playing with Makka on the floor while Viktor shoved the last of his socks into his travel bag.

“I want your mom to do my laundry too. And eat her food! It’s not fair Yuuri, I want to come with you.”

Yuuri just laughed, “Yes but you’re apartment’s nice too. I personally can’t wait to go there again.”

Viktor had to admit to himself, he liked his apartment a lot more when Yuuri was there. Still, no laundry. “We’re getting a washing machine at our next place.”

Yuuri blushed a little and Viktor couldn’t help but do the same as Yuuri replied, “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

A few heartfelt goodbyes and kisses later, Viktor was back in Russia with a very grumpy kitten on his sofa.

“You’re late,” Yurio growled.

“Am I?”

Yurio nodded. “I wanted to talk to you before practice since next week will be busy with traveling to Europeans.”

“Alright,” Viktor had to admit he was curious now. “What did you want to talk about?”

Yurio looked at bit bashful, “I want you to teach me about Quidditch.”

Viktor could help but check his ears. “What?”

“I want to understand it. Beka’s told me some things but I don’t really get it. He sounds kind of like you do when you explain skating to people who don’t know anything about it. I figure you’re stupid about anything other than skating so you could probably explain Quidditch to me like I’m an idiot.”

There was a compliment, or at least a request in there somewhere, Viktor was sure. He sighed, “Fine, after practice I can tell you all about it.”

Yurio nodded and stood from the couch and grabbing his gym bag. “We should go.”

“Yes, I really don’t want Yakov angry at me.”

 

Practice was…hard. By the time they left Viktor had been lectured by Yakov so many times he no longer really cared about anything but getting home and killing some pixilated bad guys with Yurio to blast the day from his head. He did his best to force something on his face that resembled a smile as they left to try and keep the younger skaters at the rink from knowing anything was wrong.

Of course it didn’t work on everyone.

“Could you cut it out with that fake ass smile?” Yurio growled as they walked home from practice. For the past few weeks, really since the GPF, Viktor’s programs hadn’t been good. His technical elements were fine, but the performance was weak. He could podium, and still probably win at Europeans, but at this rate he would fall extremely far at Worlds. It was a concern that had Yakov angry at him; and apparently Yurio too.

“How do you know it’s fake? I can still smile even after getting reamed for an hour.”

Yurio rolled his eyes, “I’ve known you since we were kids. moron, of course I know what your real smile looks like. That’s your ‘looking at cat pictures’ smile.”

“I have a smile for cat pictures?”

“Of course, you don’t mind looking at them, but you think dogs are cuter so you don’t really get into it. You’re wrong but the way. Cats are better.”

“Agree to disagree, but you’re right. I just can’t get the feelings right for my programs anymore.”

“You looked good at Skate Canada, what changed?”

Yurio was right, what had changed? He knew why the Trophee was poor, Killian had been there. He’d done well at the GPF because Yuuri was there.

“Will Katsudon be at Europeans?” Yurio broke into his thoughts, maybe sensing the direction they were headed.

“Probably not,” Viktor said with a sigh. “He’s got so much work to do before Four Continents. I know he wants to sneak over, but Minako isn’t likely to allow it.”

Yurio nodded, “And that douche bag will be there.”

Viktor nodded, yes, Killian would be there, and there was no guarantee he would leave Viktor alone. Skating with honesty and vulnerability like Minako had instructed him would be difficult when he felt like he was under attack.

“Maybe I’m afraid,” Viktor whispered, honestly.

Yurio was quiet for a moment before muttering back, “Probably. I know I am.”

“You? Really?”

Yurio scoffed, “Of course. This is my first International Senior competition. How crazy must I be to switch divisions mid season?”

“Pretty insane if you ask me,” Viktor replied with an easy smile.

Yurio looked up at him. “I’ve started to realize you’re not as self assure as you always seem. I’ve watched you for years and it was only this past year I realized how much of it all is an act. You seem all cocky and happy, but under it all you don’t really like yourself.

“In some ways it makes me feel better about my own shit.”

Viktor thought about his answer before speaking. “Maybe that’s why my Short tends to be stronger. It’s about fear and the results of abuse and pain, but my Free is supposed to be about overcoming all of that.”

“And you haven’t.”

Viktor didn’t argue; he knew it was true. The question was could he make enough progress in the next week? Unlikely.

“Well hurry up and fix your shit. I’m not the only one that looks up to you.” He turned and glared at Viktor, “Don’t repeat that to anyone. I’ll deny it if you do! Katsudon’s your fanboy, not me.”

“Yes yes, you’re just my younger rink mate who secretly practices Quad Flips when he thinks no one is looking, I know.”

Yurio practically growled at him. “All I’m saying is get your shit together. Katsudon skates best when you’re happy and I want to face him at his best.”

Viktor smirked, “And what about facing me?”

Yurio scowled and pulled open the door to the apartment building, “Just focus on yourself old man.”

Viktor couldn’t help but smile. “Alright. Once you’re ready, come for me. I’ll be waiting.”

Yurio nodded, looking a bit happier than before as they entered the apartment. “Alright, now explain to me what the fuck a Bludger is while we blast some scrubs.”

Viktor couldn’t help but laugh. He might not have all the answers, but he was definitely on the right path. “Well, they use three types of balls…”

 

The days passed and the week went on with Viktor coming no closer to discovering what it was he needed to really reach the next level of his program. Yuuri was trying desperately to nail his transitions in hope that he could skip his Saturday practice and come see Viktor’s Free Skate at Europeans. They were both aware they’d be spending a week apart as Viktor took extra time for practice and travel; it was made worse by the knowledge that they’d only have 5 days back together before Yuuri would leave for Four Continents.

Luckily for Yuuri he wouldn’t have to fly since it was being held in Japan this year. Viktor had to admit he had never really paid attention to the location of Four Continents before, but now he understood exactly why the JSF was taking Yuuri’s performance so seriously. Viktor wanted to be there for Yuuri more than anything, but he knew he needed to sort out his own issues if he was to stand a chance at convincing Yakov.

And for that matter, could he really support Yuuri the way he needed if he was such a train wreck himself? He knew Yuuri wouldn’t feel that way, but he couldn’t help it. Maybe Yuuri was onto something, Viktor probably didn’t like or love himself very much at all.

It wasn’t any one thing, just the swirling combination of flaws that made him doubt that the real him was really all that great. The public Viktor was perfect; everyone loved him, but the private Viktor?

Viktor wasn’t sure he could love that version of himself, but then again, Yuuri did. Anything Yuuri loved couldn’t be that bad.

He tried to keep all this in mind as he kissed his boyfriend goodbye, with promises of texts and phone calls if anything was even a little wrong. “I’ve already texted Chris and Yurio, they’re going to watch your back the whole time.” Yuuri assured him in serious tones.

“Thanks,” Viktor smiled. “I still wish you’d be there.”

Yuuri sighed, “Me too. If I didn’t know Minako would kill me for sneaking off I’d slip into the stands and cheer for you.”

Viktor smiled at the thought, “If you could go, how would you make sure I knew you were there?”

“I don’t know, maybe I’d throw you some flowers or scream in Japanese to you.”

Viktor liked those things.

“Or maybe I’ll just sneak down and pull you into a dark hallway and kiss you silly,” Yuuri whispered. Viktor couldn’t help the shiver of desire that ran down his back at that. Yuuri had grown so much more confident in the past few weeks and it was incredibly enthralling. And yet, oddly enough, Viktor wasn’t pushing things. He knew he could, Yuuri seemed more than willing, but was he? It was worth thinking over.

Viktor leaned his head against Yuuri’s, relishing the warmth and love he found there. There was a safety here.

But soon that safety was out of reach and Viktor found himself at the first practice day of the European Championship. At least, that’s what he had thought, but to his surprise he was never left alone as competitors he’d known for years constantly greeted him and pulled him into conversations. Even on the ice he couldn’t help but feel relaxed as Chris and Yuuri’s friend Emil were constantly joking with him about all manner of things.

“It’s too bad Yuuri couldn’t come, I miss him,” Emil said regretfully, and Chris nodded with agreement.

“Me too, honestly, but at least I haven’t been lonely so far.” Viktor gestured to the other skaters.

Chris snickered at that, “I guess he didn’t tell you.”

Viktor looked at his friend, “What?”

“Yuuri must have gotten basically everyone’s numbers somehow. He’s been texting everyone for weeks telling them he was upset he couldn’t come support you and to pretty please keep you company so you didn’t pout and miss him too much.”

Viktor’s mouth hung open.

“Yeah,” Emil continued, “He told me he wouldn’t be able to skate his best at Four Continents if you did poorly this weekend. I’m still set on beating you, but if it’s Yuuri asking...” he trailed off and shrugged with a smile.

Viktor couldn’t help but giggle, “That boyfriend of mine is way too loveable.”

Chris chuckled, “Any chance Japan will send him to Worlds? I know he was 3rd at Nationals, but that exhibition! He’s the most exciting thing in skating right now.”

Viktor pretended to be offended, “Et tu, Chris?” He laughed and continued, hating that he couldn’t tell his longtime friend the whole truth; “They’ve only confirmed the Four Continents placements so far, but I know Oda was on the ice this week. He’s been working with Yuuri’s ballet coach as part of his rehab. He’s really helped Yuuri a lot.”

Chris and Emil both smiled as the three watched the other skaters. “More importantly,” Viktor smirked, “What is with you two? What do they feed you? You’re both monsters! So tall! I remember when you both were tiny compared to me.” Viktor pouted and the other two laughed.

“Oh Viktor,” Chris cooed, “don’t you worry, I’m sure you’ll catch up. Now, tell me you’ll come out with us tonight.”

“Of course,” Viktor smiled, his chest feeling lighter already, looking away as his phone began to ring in his pocket. He grinned as he pulled it out to see an incoming video chat from Yuuri, which he quickly accepted. “Yuuri!” He smiled happily as he saw his boyfriend sitting against a stone wall, his robes off, and tie loose around his neck. Based on the time, he must have been calling during the lunch hour.

“Ohayou, Vitya. Hi Chris, Emil! Are you all having fun?” Yuuri was smiling happily but Viktor could tell he was moping a bit.

“Yuuri, what’s wrong?”

Yuuri gaped and then smiled, “I just am mad I can’t be there. I talked to Celestino today and begged to skip practice and he started ranting at me in Italian again.” He pouted openly then making Chris laugh.

“Don’t worry, Yuuri. Emil and I will take good care of your boyfriend. You practice hard so we can see you at competition soon.”

Yuuri nodded, “Is Yurio there?”

Viktor nodded and turned the phone towards the ice where Yurio was going through his footwork. “He’s practicing hard. I’ll make sure to bring him with us when we go out tonight. I know you’d be mad if I neglected him.”

Yuuri smiled, “You want to hear something funny I just found out from Oda?”

“Of course, how is our senpai?”

Yuuri smirked at Viktor’s description, “I didn’t know this because I was too out of it after my performance, but apparently they had to clean the ice after my exhibition because I chewed the ice up so much with my footwork. They’ve warned the Four Continents venue to be on standby after all of my performances in case my footwork gets too crazy again.” Yuuri was blushing but seemed to find the situation comical.

Viktor had to agree, and apparently so did Chris by the way he was giggling. “Yuuri, have you seen the YouTube video of that performance?”

Yuuri looked curious, “No, why?”

Chris snickered, “You should go look. The comments are amazing. ‘10/10 would let Katsuki stomp on me again.’ ‘Holy fuck I would go gay for those thighs.’ There’s a ton of people wondering if Viktor has a crush fetish.”

Viktor blushed, but sweet, innocent Yuuri seemed confused. “What’s a crush fetish?”

“It’s when someone gets off watching someone else crush objects with their foot.” Viktor explained.

“Or,” Chris smirked, “when they liked to be stepped on themselves.”

Yuuri’s face went bright red and Viktor elbowed Chris in the ribs while he and Emil both giggled uncontrollably at Yuuri’s mortified face.

“Don’t mind them Yuuri, they’re animals,” Viktor reassured him. “And just to clarify, I do not particularly want you to step on me.”

“That’s good,” Yuuri breathed, still looking a bit mortified. “I need to go, History is starting soon, but I have a little gift for all of you and Mila too.” Yuuri fumbled with his phone for a moment before Viktor got a notification of a received video. “I figured that might make up for the call being so short.”

Viktor nodded and smiled, “I’ll make sure to show everyone. Have fun in History without me, take good notes!”

Yuuri laughed and rolled his eyes. “Call anytime, Vitya. As long as I’m not in class I’ll answer. I love you.”

Chris and Emil both smirked at Viktor who blushed a little before whispering back, “I love you too, Yuuri.”

Viktor hung up, eager to watch the video. He looked around and was relieved to see Mila talking to Yakov and pulled the other two (who were still laughing) with him over to his coach and Mila. Yurio skated over to them too, complaining to Yakov about something, but quieted down as soon as Viktor cut him off with, “Yuuri sent us a video!”

Viktor pressed play and Yuuri waved at the camera, “Hi everyone! I’m sorry I can’t be there to support you all in person, but I want you to all skate your best. I was goofing around a bit this weekend and I decided to make this for you all.”

He skated away and went to center ice. The music started and Viktor and Yurio both instantly recognize the rock cover of Viktor’s most recent exhibition. Yuuri was quickly moving along the ice, feet pounding as he threw himself around the ice, practically dancing along with the heavy beats. It wasn’t a performance that would win any medals, but it had all of the skaters smiling and bouncing along.

Yuuri made a couple of jumps, before the ice was suddenly flooded with over a dozen of their classmates from the skating club, all dancing along with the music with varying degrees of expertise. Otabek even assisted Yuuri in some sort of lift so he could be seen over the crowd as he banged his head in time to the music.

When the song ended, everyone shouted together, “Good luck at Europeans!” and cheered. Yuuri came skating up to the camera, panting slightly, a big smile on his face.

“Skate well everyone! We love you all; I can’t wait to skate with all of you.”

The video cut out then, and Viktor instantly replayed it, his heart shaped smile bright across his face. He could see Yurio texting out of the corner of his eye, obviously telling Beka he loved it, based purely on the small smile on his lips.

“You boyfriend is the best,” Mila sighed happily, watching the video again with him.

“Yeah, I’m really lucky.”

Mila smiled, “Sara agreed to wait for me.”

Viktor looked up, “Yeah?”

Mila nodded, “If we date, I want to make sure I don’t lose her friendship, no matter what happens. That means I have to treat her well. It sounds selfish, but I know I can’t do a relationship right now.”

Viktor hugged her around the waist, “Proud of you, Mila.”

“You too, Viktor. Yuuri makes you better, I’m glad you found each other.”

“Me too,” he whispered.

 

The morning of the Short Programs arrived, and with it another video from Yuuri, this time just for Viktor. Yuuri was skating Viktor’s own Short Program, turning it from a desperately sad program, to a sweet almost lullaby that made Viktor’s whole being feel calm, as if he was being cradled in Yuuri’s arms.

He made his way down to the rink, the music playing through his headphones over and over. He soon found a deserted hallway and started dancing through his program, letting the mood wash over him. He could see Yakov working with Yurio in the distance, his coach’s eyes checking in on him every few seconds, giving him his space, but protecting him all the same.

Thoughts were swirling in his head, and he knew he should talk to Yuuri, but for some reason he found himself calling a different number, a sigh of relief leaving his lungs as he heard her voice.

“Minako,” he breathed.

“Viktor? What’s up? Isn’t it nearly time for your Short Program?”

“Yeah, I’m doing my warm-ups now, but I wanted to ask you something. Did…did my mother love me?”

He could hear Minako’s surprise in the silence as she seemed to gather he thoughts. “I never met her Viktor, but I heard of her. She loved music and the arts. I heard she saw my ballet once. When I started teaching you I asked around, and there was one constant everyone seemed sure of, and that was her devotion to you. You were her greatest treasure.”

“Then why did she leave me?”

Minako sighed, “I don’t know. I can’t understand it.”

Viktor felt tears sting his eyes as he leaned against the wall. “I want to skate for her.”

“Then do it; skate your feelings like I taught you.”

Viktor nodded to himself, whimpering a bit, “I’ll try. It hurts, Minako.”

“I know, kid. I know. But you’re strong, and when you skate you speak for all those who have been through similar things to you. I know it’s hard, but remember, your skating helps others express their own emotions. If it gets to be too much, think of them. It’s a heavy weight, but it’s one I know you can carry.”

Viktor sobbed and hugged himself a bit, “I will, Minako-sensei. I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

“Good, now go. Get your mind ready and skate with your heart. I can’t promise you Gold, but you’ll never regret it if you skate honestly.”

“I will. Can you tell Yuuri I’ll call him after? It’s not that I…”

“I know, I get it.”

“Thanks, Minako.”

Viktor hung up and dried his eyes. According to the announcements there were only two skaters to go; he slowly stretched, letting his mind float away to the feelings in his heart. He could sense Yakov walking towards him, ready to collect him. He gathered his things and made for the ice, music in his ears. He saw his friends, his rink mates, and even Killian as he passed through the skater’s area. None of it could touch him now.

He would skate for his mother once again. Today was the build up; he had to be ready for Worlds, when he’d finally say goodbye to her.

The program before him was ending and he was stepping onto the ice, handing his things to Yakov.

“Are you alright, Vitya?” Yakov was looking at him with concern, obviously noticing his puffy eyes.

Viktor smiled a bit sadly at his coach. “I might mess up a bit today, Yakov, but I’ll be better by Worlds, promise.”

Yakov looked concerned but nodded, “It goes against all of my training, but skate the way that makes you feel best, even if it means giving up a few points.”

Viktor nodded and skated to mid ice, eyes closed as he tried to block out the crowd, taking a settling breath as the music began to play.

His blades moved as he let his feelings poor out, propelling his body forward through the now familiar steps. His mother would like Yuuri, wouldn’t she? She’d no doubt think his skating was beautiful, and Viktor couldn’t help but pay extra attention to his edges and footwork, making them as clean as he ever had; she would like that.

But the more mournful the song became, the more his pain came to him until tears stung his eyes. He leapt into his Quad Salchow, only to stumble on the landing. A minute later he popped a double. Neither were devastating losses, but he knew he wouldn’t be in first at the end of today, and for once, he really didn’t mind.

Instead he focused on skating, on letting his emotions speak through his blades, on making every edge exact and beautiful. By the time the song ended he was completely winded, but a part of him felt free for the first time in so long. He couldn’t help but smile happily, more happily then he was sure people would feel he should be after a lower technical score than usual.

But it was alright. His body and heart hurt. He was growing and changing, costumes fitting differently then they had just a few months ago; and he was finally facing his emotions after so many years. He could allow himself a lower Technical score today. He’d be stronger tomorrow and the day after that, and the day after that.

He slid over to Yakov and took his phone, slipping the ear buds in and calling Yuuri.

“You were so beautiful, Vitya,” Yuuri’s voice sobbed softly after less than a full ring.

“Thank you, zoloste. I’ll be better tomorrow.”

“I know you will, but I’m so proud of you today. I love you so much!”

Viktor smiled, looking at the screens as the scores were read. They weren’t stunning, but he was in no way out of the running. He was alright with that.

“Can he hear me?” Yakov asked softly, pointing to the phone.

“Tell him I can hear him, Vitya,” Yuuri confirmed without prompting.

Viktor nodded to his coach who continued, “Your footwork was the best it’s ever been. I’ve never seen you focus so much on your edges. I’m very proud of you. You’re tired, aren’t you?”

Viktor laughed, “Yeah. I pushed so hard on the footwork without even realizing I wouldn’t have enough for all my jumps.”

Yakov chuckled, leading them away from the ice, “We can work with that.

And they did. After watching Yurio and Mila skate, Viktor found himself itching to get back on the ice, and before he knew it, Yakov had somehow secured him a rink for the evening. Viktor couldn’t help but laugh at himself as he loaded up on carbs and proteins and skated his Free Skate step sequences over and over, pushing his blades into tighter and tighter steps. Yuuri really was rubbing off on him.

By 2am Yakov was pleased and Viktor felt his mind was exhausted enough to finally rest. His body was more than ready; Yakov had to practically push him up the stairs at the hotel.

“Shower then bed, Vitya,” Yakov grumbled, pushing Viktor into his room.

Viktor didn’t argue, following his coach’s orders and collapsing into a deep sleep that was filled with dreams of dancing with Yuuri, and a hint of a laugh that he knew must have belonged to his mother.

He woke feeling rested, if not totally calm as his heart still sorted through the complicated emotions in his heart. He was in 4th after the short, with Yurio and Chris ahead of him, and Emil right on his heels. Killian it seemed had returned with a vengeance after stumbling in the GPF, easily securing the first position.

He tried to ignore that train of thought focusing instead of the newest video from Yuuri, this time skating Viktor’s Free program.

Viktor texted with Yuuri for a while, but soon Yuuri had to get back to practice, promising to call before Viktor took the ice. It wasn’t the same as when Yuuri was there though.

Within a few hours he was back at the rink, alone again in the back hallway, letting the music flow through him as Yakov stood close by, watching him warm-up.

“Do you think I can win?” Viktor found himself asking as his time on the ice grew closer.

“Does it matter?” Yakov asked seriously.

Viktor looked at him, a bit stunned. Yakov was never so laissez-faire about winning, but then again, neither was Viktor.

“No, I don’t suppose it does. I want to, but I want to sort out my feelings more. I don’t think I can get better if I don’t.”

Yakov nodded, “I’d rather you take a fall here and come back strong at Worlds. I’d rather you miss the podium then to have you do serious harm to yourself because your emotions are eating you alive.”

Viktor smiled, “Thank you Yakov. I think that’s how I’ll skate today, then.”

“What, like you’re being eaten alive?”

“Da, but that I know there are people helping to pull me free. That I know I’ll be alright.”

Yakov nodded, “Good.”

 

His Free Skate was better. His steps and spins were practically perfect (so much so Yakov couldn’t complain), and he landed all his jumps, though he’d only included 3 Quads and not 4. It was no surprise when his score placed him on top but nowhere near his personal best.

He stepped back to the skater’s area, ready to cool down and call Yuuri when he felt an arm grab his elbow. It was firm, but not uncomfortable, at least until he realized who it was.

“Viktor,” Killian was staring at him, “I want you to watch me skate.”

Viktor stared at him, a frown creasing his face, but he nodded slowly. Obviously Killian wanted to tell him something that couldn’t be said in words. The least he could do was ‘hear’ him out. He knew he needed to move on, and he wasn’t going to do that until they resolved their issues.

He made his way to the stands and watched as Chris finished his skate, Viktor’s first place finish still safe. Killian took the ice and a hush fell over the crowd as the announcer read off the song selection; it was new.

Viktor narrowed his eyes, watching as his competitor began to skate to a soft number that was so out of character for him. Killian was all about power and jumps. He was the action hero type, not the piano and strings sort.

Yet here he was, skating along to a stirring female vocal accompanied by strings and piano. They lyrics weren’t demanding, but regretful. Viktor knew Killian had chosen French because he knew Viktor would understand.

His phone rang and he answered without thinking, knowing it was Yuuri, because who else would it be?

“Are you watching?” Yuuri asked softly.

“Da.” He paused, “he asked me to.”

“What does it mean?” Yuuri asked, obviously just as stunned by this entirely atypical performance that didn’t fail to impress.

Viktor sighed, “It’s a story of a woman who fell in love, but the man fell in love with someone else. She knows she’s not as special, but hope she’ll at least be remembered after she says goodbye. She’s questioning if the man was worth the pain, but she still wants to see him one last time.”

“That’s so sad.”

Viktor hummed in agreement, “I’ve remembered something. My father said he erased Killian’s memories of the blackmail, but what if he took more? What if he doesn’t remember my rejection at Worlds? Even if he does, without the blackmail, it can’t all make sense.

“Then I show up to the GPF circuit obviously in love with someone else, and you show up at the GPF. What if he thinks I played him?”

“It doesn’t excuse his behavior.” Yuuri sounded angry; Viktor couldn’t help but smile.

“It doesn’t, you’re right.” He sighed, “I think I should talk to him.”

Yuuri was quiet but finally seemed to agree, “Bring Yurio with you. I don’t want you alone. If anything happens he can call me and I’ll break every International Wizarding Law to protect you.”

Viktor blushed hard; protective Yuuri was hot. “Thank you, Yuuri. I promise to come home to you safe. I think I need this.”

“I do too, Vitya, but I don’t have to like it.”

Viktor laughed softly, his eyes drifting to the screens as the scores were finally announced.

“Silver,” Yuuri whispered. Viktor didn’t love it, but he nodded to himself anyways.

“It’s not unexpected. I’ve been too distracted lately.”

“Are you ok?”

Viktor thought about that, thought about everything that had happened in the past few days and smiled, “Yeah, I am. I’ll be taking the Gold at Worlds, zoloste. I love you, but I can’t let you have it just yet.”

Yuuri laughed his sweet, heart-filled laugh. “I accept your challenge, Vitya.”

 

The medal ceremony was uneventful; obviously the ISU knew that Killian wasn’t on good terms with Viktor and they seemed to limit the photos they had to take together. The press conference on the other hand was awkward, with the press hoping to spur a good rivalry story, which neither Killian nor Viktor were eager to give them. Chris ended up doing a lot butting in, defusing the situation with his easy charm, giving the other two an out for more pointed questions.

Finally it was over and they made their way down the hall where Yurio met them, looking frustrated to have just missed the podium behind Chris. He walked next to Viktor shooting glares at Killian as they made their way to the locker rooms.

“You changed your Free,” Viktor broke the silence; better to get this over with.

Killian nodded, pausing and looking at the others, clearly hoping for some privacy. Chris and Yurio moved down the hall, but stayed close by. Yurio was texting and Viktor had a feeling he was updating Yuuri.

“I needed to get my feelings out, so I took a page out of your book.”

Viktor chuckled, “Now now, I only change my exhibitions, never my Free.” No, Yuuri was the only one in their relationship strong enough to change his competition programs midseason.

Killian shrugged and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry for what happened at the Final, and the Trophee. I was out of line. I shouldn’t have called you those things, or taunted your boyfriend. It was rude.”

“I’m sorry too. I should have had a conversation with you sooner; I just sort of ghosted you. That wasn’t fair.”

“It wasn’t.” He turned and looked Viktor in the eyes, “I thought we were a couple. I thought that night was a confirmation of that, and then you just went dark on me and gave me the cold shoulder at Worlds. I didn’t get it. Did I do something?”

Viktor sighed, “I was drunk that night.”

“I’ve seen you drink more.”

“Yes, but I still wasn’t in a place to think clearly about what we were doing. I was also 17.”

Killian quirked an eyebrow, “So?”

Viktor shrugged, “I wasn’t ready for it. That mixed with the alcohol and I realized I was making a mistake about halfway through.”

“Didn’t look that way to me. You never told me to stop.”

“I know, that’s why I don’t blame you. I wish you hadn’t have pushed me to do it since you knew I’d been drinking, but like you said, I’d drank more on other occations. Doesn’t mean it didn’t fuck me up for a while.”

Killian stared at him, studying his face for a long while. “Have you slept with him?”

Viktor didn’t need him to explain who he meant. “That’s none of your business.”

“You haven’t,” Killian said seriously. “You forget, I know you. You weren’t even that affectionate with me.”

“Yuuri’s different. I’m different.”

“Are you?”

Viktor stared. “Of course I am!”

Killian just shrugged. “You’ve always been a scared little boy, Viktor; always posturing so no one would look too close. Maybe I shouldn’t have done it with you that night, but it would have happened eventually, and the results would have been the same. You loved the attention you got when you flirted and teased. If it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else. But it’s all just an act.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re too afraid of the world; you’ll never be able to let someone in.”

“I will, I’ve let Yuuri in.”

“But you haven’t, have you? You haven’t slept with him.”

“We’re taking our time. Sex isn’t everything.”

Killian raised an eyebrow. “Are you? Seems to me you’ve just gone the other way. Instead of hiding your weakness you’re just avoiding it altogether now. ”

Viktor’s face must have been bad because at that point Chris and Yurio came stomping over, standing between Killian and Viktor. Killian raised his hands in surrender. “I’m done. I forgive you for your part, and I’m sorry for mine. I’m done bothering you, but know that you won’t be taking Gold at Worlds. I’ll prove to you I’m better than your little Japanese boy.”

He stood and walked away, with Chris and Yurio both muttering curses in their respective languages at his back. Viktor turned and started walking, Yurio and Chris calling after him. The tears were stinging his eyes as he blindly hurdled through the halls trying to get out of this prison before he fell apart.

He tore around a corner and suddenly crashed into a very solid wall of muscle, arms coming around him in an instant. Viktor looked up at the face and let out a sob.

“Beks! What are you doing here?” He let himself sag against his best friend, feeling his comforting arms supporting him.

“Yuuri called me and asked if I could come to you, then Yurio messaged and said you’d run away from him.”

Viktor laughed through the tears, “They really love me.”

Otabek nodded and hugged him tighter, “They do. We all do. You’re our friend.”

They stood there for a long while, Viktor silently crying against his friend’s shoulder. “I talked to the guy, the one who…you know.”

“I gathered. You should know I’ve never heard Yuuri sound so angry; Chris was apparently texting him the conversation. I’d hate to get into a duel with him, I have a feeling he’d be terrifying.”

Viktor nodded, “You should meet his tutor, I think he gets it from her.” He sighed. “Killian and I apologized to each other, but then he said some things about how I’m afraid to let people in, how everything I do is an act. Then he asked me why I haven’t slept with Yuuri.”

“You’ve only been together a few months.”

“That was my thought too, but the Killian asked if that was really the reason. He said that before it seemed like I was doing those things to cover up how I really felt, and that now I was just hiding.”

“What do you think?” Otabek was staring at his face with concern.

“I think he was right about before. I was messing around just to fill the void and keep people from seeing how I really felt.”

“And now?”

“I think he’s wrong, but also not. I’m different, I’ve opened up a lot more. Being torn apart tends to lay a lot of your cards on the table after all. But, maybe I have been holding back from Yuuri.”

“Why?”

Viktor sighed, letting the thoughts swirl through his head.

He was afraid, but this wasn’t a conversation he should be having with Beks, he needed Yuuri. He pulled out his phone and dialed. If Otabek thought it was odd he didn’t say anything; instead he stepped back and pulled out his own phone to give Viktor some privacy.

“Vitya!” Yuuri breathed, sounding stressed and worried as well as sleepy; Viktor had forgotten the time there.

“I’m afraid, Yuuri,” he sobbed.

Yuuri let out a breath, “I know, Vitya. Do you want to talk about it?”

Viktor nodded even though Yuuri couldn’t see. “When he did those things to me, I told myself I hated it, but I didn’t. My body…it felt good! I hated it and it felt good. And then he sent those photos and I could see my body feeling good. I didn’t look upset or like I wasn’t enjoying it and it made me hate myself. How could I like something that I hated? What is wrong with me?”

Yuuri was quiet, letting Viktor cry. “Vitya, I didn’t tell you, but I called Dr. Petrov after you left during break. I asked her about what happened to you. After what we did, what I did that last night; you liked it, but you also got kind of quiet after. I wondered if maybe I went too far.

“She told me it might have triggered some memories from that time. You should talk to her about it but she told me that when someone is forced their bodies are programmed to make the best of it, and that can lead to feelings of guilt.”

Viktor tugged on his hair, hands twitching for release in a way he knew wasn’t healthy.

“It’s not your fault, Vitya.”

“But what if it was? I was asking for it, I wanted to do those things so I could forget my shitty life!”

“Did Killian know that before he slept with you?”

Viktor blinked, “Maybe? It sounds like he might have.”

“Then shouldn’t he have stopped? Shouldn’t he have asked what you were trying to run from?” Yuuri’s voice was calm, but there was an edge behind it that Viktor could tell wasn’t directed at him. “I would never push you to move forward until I knew with absolute certainty that you were ready. That’s why I’ve been holding back the past few weeks. I love you; I’m never going to push you to do anything you’re not ready for.”

It was like a wave slamming him against the shore, the realization that love was more than words, it was acceptance and understanding; all things Viktor knew, but to hear Yuuri say them… “It wasn’t my fault?”

“No, Vitya. Anyone who truly loves you wouldn’t have done that, especially not when you had been drinking. Anyone who loves you would want to heal your pain, not cover it up.”

Viktor felt like his heart might break, the love inside bursting forth as his boyfriend spoke. He never knew love could feel like this.

“We will have sex, Viktor,” Yuuri spoke quietly and Viktor could practically hear the blush in his voice. “We’ll do it when it’s right for both of us. Once we do it’ll be fun and it’ll feel good and make you feel good. I’ll tell you how beautiful you are and how much I love you. We’ll make each other laugh. That’s how it’s suppose to be.”

Viktor smiled, “You’ve talked to Dr. Petrov a lot, haven’t you?”

Yuuri laughed softly, “Yeah. After my episode at Nationals Minako wanted me to talk to her; then after you left I realized I had a lot of questions, so I talked to her about it. I talked to Minako too. I didn’t know much about sex and I wanted it to be right for us when the time comes.”

Viktor blushed, “I had no idea you wanted in my pants that bad.”

Yuuri sighed in exasperation, “Of course I do, but I also love you. You’re a tease and a flirt, but you’re also deep and complicated. I love that about you, but I know I don’t have all the answers, so I got help. It’s just like skating, you can watch all the film you want, but if you want to do Quads, you need a coach to fill in the gaps of your knowledge.”

“So I’m a Quad Flip?”

Yuuri’s voice was tender. “You’re a Quad Axel, so far out of reach for everyone – everyone but me.”

Viktor felt the tears slip out of his eyes, “I love you, Yuuri.”

“I love you too, Vitya. Now, go thank your friends for looking out for you and get some rest. You have to perform your exhibition flawlessly for me tomorrow. It wouldn’t do to stumble when you’re telling the world how you feel about me, would it?”

Viktor smiled, “Of course not. Thank you, zoloste.”

“You’re welcome, Vitya.” Yuuri paused and then added in a teasing tone, “We’re still getting you that leash though.”

Viktor giggled, agreeing before he hung up. Otabek walked over to him, Chris and Yurio had joined him and looked relieved to see Viktor smiling.

“Everything better?” Chris asked.

Viktor nodded, “Thank you, all of you.” He reached forward and pulled them all into a hug, Yurio coming a little unwillingly. “I love you all, you’re my brothers.”

“Love you too,” Chris smiled as he hugged him back.

“Same,” Otabek patted his back with a smile.

“You’re a gross loser,” Yurio grumbled, “but you’re not so bad.”

Viktor laughed, “Love you too, Yurio.” He smiled, looking up at them, “Now what do you say we hunt down Emil and get some dinner? We need to hurry so we’re back in time to see Mila take Gold!”

“Fine, but you’re paying,” Yurio grinned, heading back down the hall, Chris following behind him.

“I can feel your magic, Viktor.” Otabek whispered, “You must be really happy.”

Viktor smiled, “I am. I’m still a bit broken, but I know I can get past it. I know I’m not alone.”

“About time you figured that out,” Otabek smiled and patted his shoulder as they walked after the others.”

“Hey Beks…”

“What?”

“When did you get shorter than me?”

Otabek stopped suddenly and glared up at Viktor. “Shut up, you’ve been taller than me for months. Yuuri’s even the same height as me now.”

“Is he? I hadn’t noticed.”

Otabek rolled his eyes, “You’re an idiot, Viktor.”

Viktor chuckled, “Maybe, but at least I’m a tall idiot.”

Otabek punched his shoulder lightly, letting out a playful string of insults as the two laughed and joined their friends outside of the locker room to go to dinner. Yes, he wasn’t there yet, but Viktor could finally see the light ahead.

‘Maybe I am worth loving,’ he thought as he let himself be led out of the rink surrounded by his friends.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been wanting to say this for so long and now I finally can: In this universe Vicchan _lives_ because Imara is a poodle saving badass! She's going to have a long conversation with Vicchan about minding cars and because of that he'll live a nice long life. :)
> 
> Sorry if I scared you about Makka though. He would have been ok even if Imara wasn’t there (Viktor would have summoned the bun out).
> 
> Now onto our loveable Vitya. This was far and away the most difficult chapter I’ve had to write; there are a lot of very serious, deep issues going on in poor Viktor’s head. I hope I did them at least some justice. Feel free to hit me up in the comments if you have questions, I know it’s a lot.
> 
> He’s not there yet, but Viktor is making huge progress. He’s got a lot of guilt and insecurity after Killian, and a lot of anger he’s never acknowledged after his mother died. Understanding those feelings will help him tackle them. Good thing he has Yuuri to stand beside him (and educate himself! Good boy Yuuri!).
> 
> Killian’s still a douche bag though.
> 
> Music!
> 
> [Killian’s Free Skate](https://youtu.be/qyuPn4DPCdA) (hate the skater not the music!) - [Lyrics](http://lyricstranslate.com/en/place-de-la-r%C3%A9publique-republic-square.html-0)
> 
> The [Rock/Metal version of Viktor’s free skate Yuuri and the Skating Club skated to](https://youtu.be/iK_MPTjzk2A) (it was linked in a previous chapter, but I won’t make you search for it again).
> 
> If you’re wondering, the game Viktor and Yurio were playing was Overwatch (I blame [AlexWSpark](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10546890/chapters/23291844) for this). Yurio was playing it w/ Otabek over Christmas break too. Whenever I get a minute there will be a side story about their Christmas break together. It would have happened this week but it was my birthday and I lost a day of writing to a [large pitcher of Soju](https://twitter.com/AJWolf84/status/871533487299248128/photo/1).
> 
> Thanks as always for reading. You comments, kudos, reqs and asks make my day! If you see typos or errors, let me know and I’ll fix them. Tumblr and Twitter info below, feel free to message me there or in the comments if you have questions. I know this chapter was a bit heavy, but next week we’ll be with Yuuri at Four Continents, which means more JJ! It’s sure to be a fun few days. Go Yuuri!


	35. Shinkansen to Saitama

Yuuri slid in careful figures on the ice. It was just after lunch and he was warming up before his afternoon practice, letting the food in his stomach settle before he took on another several hours of grueling, painful work. Just two more weeks, not ever that long, actually; so little time to perfect his programs and compete against others who’d been perfecting their programs for months.

“How’s Viktor doing?”

Yuuri was shaken from his thoughts as Oda skid up.

“He’s alright. He doesn’t love that he lost to Durand, but he knows he was trying something new and it wasn’t going to be perfect.”

Oda nodded, “His Performance scores were the best I’ve ever seen from him, on par with yours.”

Yuuri blushed but nodded, “He’s been focusing on them. I think he knows he can’t just keep upping the difficulty to stay on top. There’s a limit to how hard he can make his programs.”

“He’ll be a real monster come Worlds.” His tone left no doubt; Oda was excited to face Viktor. “After Four Continents I’ll be cleared for full practice. I won’t be here to help you anymore.”

Yuuri nodded, he had known this was coming. “I’m surprised you’re not leaving sooner.”

Oda shrugged, “I can’t really practice just yet, and this rink is as good as any others. Plus Minako is the best ballet instructor I’ve ever had. My recovery has been going much better than I expected with her help.”

“You realize she’s old enough to be your mother,” Yuuri teased.

Oda blushed, “Thought I’d been more subtle than that.”

Yuuri chuckled, “It’s alright, I won’t tell.”

Oda nodded and skated off and Yuuri returned to his figures and thoughts.

Europeans were over now, all but the Exhibitions that would take place later that night. Mila had in fact ended the night with Gold, stunning most of the World in the process. Her programs had been strong and beautiful, like she had been completely reborn; the nerves of the fall all but gone. Yakov was apparently beside himself with pride, there were even rumors that he actually smiled.

Viktor had of course managed a silver, even with some technical stumbles, and Yurio had nailed 4th. Yuuri had ended up texting with the younger teen during his morning run; Yurio was disappointed in the result but the media was massively impressed by his performance. The European line-up was stacked with talent, and for the teen to rank so high in his debut had a lot of people paying attention. It seemed likely Yurio would be showered with sponsorship offers in no time, and the teen was excited by the prospect of being able to help his grandfather more.

Still Yurio was a perfectionist, and forth would never be enough. Yuuri couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Yuuri yawned. He hadn’t gotten much sleep. First he’d stayed up to watch Viktor’s performance, then to talk to his boyfriend after his confrontation with Killian, and finally he’d woken again to another more private call from Viktor in which they had quietly celebrated the achievement together. He didn’t regret a minute of it, but his body still reminded him of his weariness every now and again. He’d already asked Oda to wake him in time for Viktor and Mila’s skates tonight so he could get to bed early.

If he could get to sleep that is. Not only were people from the Europeans contacting him about Viktor, but from the Four Continents group as well. Viktor’s conversation with Killian, despite being private, was somehow known by basically every skater of any standing in the world. Yuuri’s number was also somehow known and skaters were assuring him that they would be giving Killian the cold shoulder for his behavior. Yuuri wasn’t entirely sure why they were contacting him and not Viktor, but he was glad for their kindness.

The Four Continents crowd was also furious at the reporters’ insistence that the Europeans were the powerhouses this year; everyone seemed determined to post bigger scores than Durand and Viktor to prove that Worlds would be far from a cake walk for the European contingent.

No one was louder than JJ, who seemed to have taken the slight personally, and was offering other skaters tips on how to improve their programs. He’d sent Yuuri a long email that morning going over both of Yuuri’s old programs in such detail that Yuuri didn’t have the heart to tell him of the change.

Though he had pointed out a section of the old Free that had made it into his Short that could be improved. Yuuri had purposed the change to Celestino as soon as he’d arrived to the rink that morning and they’d already worked on making it a part of the program, making it easy for Yuuri to thank JJ and promise to play interpreter (or at least point him in the right direction) for him once he arrived in Japan.

Yuuri stretched as he slid around the rink; he didn’t have much time left before he’d be at Four Continents. A part of him was ready for the inevitable panic, and yet another felt determined to rise above it this time. His programs felt joyful and loving, and after letting his magic out he felt even more connected to his art.

He couldn’t control the music, but he had started to think that maybe he could tune his magic to different stations in his mind, based on his emotions. It wasn’t a concrete thought, but the song that had so easily come from him before felt very much like his song; however, sometimes when he let his mind wander, he could almost feel another melody, one meant not just for him, but for Viktor also.

He set those thoughts aside for later, knowing deep down that he couldn’t force anything within that part of himself; it would come when it was time.

He finished the day strong, his programs coming together more and more, the technical side being drilled at the rink, while the presentation was polished in Minako’s studio. It wasn’t the most comfortable situation, but the studio time also gave him time to talk to Minako about more personal matters. He didn’t love getting sex advice from Minako, but it was better than going to his parents; plus he doubted they could really help them at the prospects of having sex with a man.

“I have something for you,” she muttered as they finished up. They’d been talking about positions and Yuuri’s ears were still red at the descriptions. Minako tossed him a small package and he glanced down at it, quickly regaining any of the blush that may have faded as he stared down at an extra large package of condoms and hefty bottle of lube. “Remember what I told you, safe and careful. You’ll both still be adjusting and it’ll take some time till you learn what each of you can take. Listen to your bodies and communicate.

“And make sure when it’s done, if you’re on top, get your partner a towel to clean up with. It’s polite and being thoughtful afterwards can help make the experience feel even better.”

Yuuri nodded, “I remember. Always prep your partner. You can never have too much lube. Always wear a condom.”

Minako smiled, “Good. I’d lecture you but I know you’re not rushing anything. I admit, it’s weird thinking about you two kids doing those things, but I’d rather you both be safe and happy than bury my head in the sand. Thanks for trusting me with this Yuuri.”

Yuuri felt a well of emotion bubble up within him, “Thanks for always looking out for us Minako, though you should know we’re going to keep asking you questions about our past.”

Minako rolled her eyes, “Of course you are.”

Yuuri laughed and made his way home. Just one half day of practice and he’d be back with Viktor, a few hours never felt so long.

 

The next morning was much as expected. He was out at the beach with Vicchan and Minako, sprinting along the sand as he pushed his legs for more speed. Minako was relentless, and Yuuri couldn’t help but think Vicchan was looking at him with pity.

Celestino was no better, drilling all of his jumps before running the programs again and again; his instructions for the week were to keep running it and to keep pushing his stamina. The longer his energy could hold out, the sharper he could keep each edge. The more times he completed the jumps, the more confident he’d be in each of them.

He also practiced the axel which was improving, but still wasn’t landing cleanly. He knew he could get good points even with a shaky landing, but if he was going to be the first, he wanted it to be perfect, just like Viktor’s Flip was. He leapt into the jump again, imagining Viktor’s face of joy when he finally completed the jump properly – the jump was ever so slightly better than the last, with his fingers only skimming the ice briefly.

A few more run throughs and a thorough cool down later he was walking back to the Inn with Celestino and Minako, reviewing his assignments for the week, and assuring them he’d be back first thing Saturday morning, ready for what lay ahead.

Celestino waved his farewells as Yuuri and Minako entered the Inn, under the usual guise of Minako taking Yuuri to the airport as soon as he changed.

“Call me if you need anything,” she reminded him.

Yuuri grinned, “I will, thanks, really, for everything.”

Minako smiled, “Maybe I’ll port back with you one of these days. I miss seeing the school full of life; I only ever visit in the summer.”

“Sure, just make sure you as the Head Mistress first; I don’t need you getting me into any trouble. She likes me but I can tell if I step even a toe out of line she’ll have me up by the ears.”

Minako cackled as Yuuri made his way from the main room back to his room to change. He waved at Poster Viktor as he came in and the 2D Russian quickly skated up to the barrier happily, motioning in the way he’d taken to recently which was his way to beg Yuuri to check online to see if there were any posters of himself yet.

Yuuri rolled his eyes but pulled his laptop to the bed and began the search which always made him feel like the biggest narcissist in the world. Oh wait, no, that was JJ, who took selfies with every poster of himself he could find.

He typed in the search and scrolled for a while, not seeing anything new until his eyes caught on something. It was an article about the preparations for Four Continents, but in the background of one of the photos was a merchandising booth. There were no actual items there, but there was a banner that showed the available items, and one of the blurry figures’ outfits looked distinctly similar to Yuuri’s swirling black and navy Short Program ensemble.

“It’s hard to say for sure, but it looks like they might have something at the event.” He held up his computer to show 2D Viktor whose eyes were wide with excitement. “I’ll have Minako pick-up a few for me and we’ll give it a try. I have no idea how we can make it so you both can visit each other’s papers, but this is as good a place as any to start.”

Poster Viktor nodded and bent his fingers into a heart happily.

“Can I ask you something?”

Poster Viktor nodded.

“Do you think Viktor really wants to sleep with me? I know we’re dating and we love each other, but he was so hurt. I sometimes wonder if I’m enough; if I’m what he needs.”

Poster Viktor raised a finger to his lips and then turned his back and began to slowly write in the air. It took ages, and it was clearly not 2D Viktor’s preferred method of communicating, but he occasionally did this when it was something important. Apparently this was very important because he spelled it out in huge letters:

YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD EVER BE ENOUGH

He turned around then and smiled, making his heart shape with his hands and placing it over his chest, looking up at Yuuri, before gripping his fingers into two loose fists pressed against each other, turning the heart shape from an empty one, to one that was full. Yuuri didn’t need an interpreter to understand his meaning.

“Thanks,” he whispered, smiling as 2D Viktor winked and skated off into a perfect Quad Flip.

 

Within the hour he was spinning into existence in McGonagall’s office, cursing himself slightly for being a bit late; he wouldn’t have time to head down to breakfast. It was less about the need for food, and more about his desire to see his friends…and Viktor.

He waved at the portraits who were used to his appearances by now (one of them assured Yuuri that he’d inform the Head Mistress of his arrival), and made his way into the halls, jogging along the corridors towards the main staircase. If he hurried he could catch the others before class.

He didn’t have to go far though as there was a sudden yell and a silver streak flew towards him as Viktor came sprinting up the stairs. Yuuri didn’t even pause as he hurdled himself down the remaining stairs that divided them, jumping the last few and colliding (a little harder than intended, truth be told) into Viktor’s arms, their bodies instantly conforming to each other.

“Yuuri. You’re back. I missed you so much!” Viktor gasped.

Yuuri didn’t know if he was breathing, crying, or laughing; but his body was shaking as whispered back, “Missed you so much, Vitya.”

Viktor leaned in and kissed him happily, and there were wolf whistles from some of the passing students that neither of them cared about. Their lips parted, but they stayed so close that they could read each other’s thoughts in their eyes; at least until Professor Weasley smacked Viktor in the back of the head with a small stack of papers that caused Viktor to yelp in shock as the two teens to jumped apart in surprise.

“Get to class you two. I won’t excuse either of you if you’re late or if you fail to pay attention.”

“Yes Professor!” They both called, quickly gathering their things (which had apparently fallen, not that Yuuri had noticed) and jogged after their Professor, catching up and chatting happily with him about their weekends and the latest assignment.

Their lesson ended up being on curse breaking, a task which they seemed uniquely equipped to handle. Between Yuuri’s uncanny ability to memorize his lessons, and Viktor’s innate ability to sense the nature of magics, they had soon worked their way through the bulk of the items Professor Weasley had set out for the class to sort through.

They both earned five points for their House’s and a satisfied nod from their Professor. He also let them leave the class early since ‘they’d run the rest of the class out of practice materials if they stayed any longer’, giving them a few minutes to relax together in one of the hidden alcoves that were scattered throughout the castle. Yuuri thought about kissing Viktor again, but his boyfriend seemed extremely content to sit and hold hands, sharing stories of their weekend until the chiming of the bell signaled it was time to separate for an hour.

Yuuri noticed a new sense of calm that had settled on Viktor, and a certain openness in his eyes, which convinced Yuuri more than anything to let Viktor lead for now. Clearly something good was changing within him, and Yuuri knew if he waited patiently, he’d see it soon enough.

He couldn't help but feel a bit sad when they parted for class, wanting nothing more than to keep watching Viktor open up even more. He couldn't help but silently wish Viktor had signed up for Muggle Studies.

They were currently studying Muggle transportation engineering, and watching the others try to understand cars and airplanes was amusing to say the least.  The mere prospect that airplanes could stay up in the air seemed to baffle the vast majority of the class.

“Well what about trains then?” one of the others asked. “We have the Hogwarts Express, are Muggle trains just as good?”

Yuuri snorted, “Better.” The class looked at him but he could see the Professor grinning and nodding encouragingly to him so he went on. “The Hogwarts Express was modern technology about 100 years ago, but Muggles have moved far beyond that. The Shinkansen in Japan, for example, uses magnets to lift and propel itself.”

He did some quick calculations in his head. “The Hogwarts Express probably averages in speed around 128 kilometers per hour, whereas the Shinkansen runs at a maximum of 320 kilometers per hour; and that’s just the commercial commuter lines. On test tracks they reached a record of 603 kilometers per hour.”

The others stared at him for a minute before the whole room broke out into:

“Have you ridden in one?”

“You must all be mental to have something moving that fast around people!”

“Someone should nick us one of those so we can get to school in half the time.”

The Professor chuckled and diverted conversation back to the lesson at hand, but not before a quick reminder to the class that they should never look down on Muggles. “We Wizards have magic which lets us bypass many of life challenges, and so we often don’t strive for better. Muggles don’t have that luxury and are always pushing for new ways to improve their lives. They are curious and never content, always looking for way to improve their situation. Too many wizard pity and look down on Muggles, but they, in some ways, are far cleverer than us.”

Yuuri couldn’t agree more.

He spent lunch with Viktor and his other friends who were all excited to ask him about his weekend and several girls in the Skating Club kept bugging him about JJ. Apparently they’d been doing some research on skaters at Four Continents and had stumbled on his Instagram and were now trying to figure out how to get a credit card so they could join the fanclub.

“There’s an official t-shirt with membership!”

Yuuri and Viktor both had to bite their lips very hard so as not to laugh as Jo explained Muggle banking to the girls who looked completely crestfallen when they learned the realities of credit scores and compounding interest.

Yuuri stealthily pulled out his phone during the exchanges and sent JJ a text asking him to bring a few ‘JJ girls’ t-shirts with him for some classmates, a request that JJ seemed only too happy to agree to, if a selfie of him doing his signature move could be taken as a yes.

They wandered down to History of Magic and Viktor immediately deposited his head on the desk top with a moan upon their arrival.

“Yuuri, how am I going to get through class without you next week?”

Yuuri snickered but was cut off by Ari and Jo coming up behind them and patting Viktor on the shoulder. “We got you, Viktor,” Ari smiled cheerfully. “Just show me how you got through all that curse breaking so fast before my DADA class tomorrow.

“Me too. I’ve never been so thoroughly beaten before,” Jo teased, seeming more curious than upset. Jo always seemed to find someone beating her grades in anything as a learning opportunity, never getting frustrated. It was a method that worked for her since, despite Ari, Charlie, Riko, Yuuri, and Viktor’s best efforts, she still remained at the top of the class at the end of the previous term, though the race for the second best student was apparently so close the teachers were worried they might not be able pick just one, and were coming up with alternate strategies and tie breakers to sort the mess out if the need arose.

The Professor entered the room and they all settled in for what could have been an entirely fascinating subject had it been taught by anyone else. Yuuri idly plotted in his mind how he’d explain the subject to Viktor later. With the right approach, even disinterested Viktor could be made to sit still as he explained the convoluted mess that was the Dragon Regulation Agreements of 1872.

When the lesson concluded, Yuuri handed off his nearly comatose boyfriend to Ari to be frog marched down the Herbology. It took a bit of coaxing to convince Viktor to let go of Yuuri for an hour when all the Russian wanted to do was curl up for a nice long nap.

Yuuri finally settled into his seat beside Mila in Potions, happy to have a moment to talk to her and congratulate her on her Gold with an affectionate hug.

“I have something to tell you, but I’ll wait till you get to the rink,” she winked. Professor Slughorn trundled into the room then cutting off any questions Yuuri might have wanted to ask as they got to work on discussing the concoction of antidotes in preparation for their double lesson later that week.

After classes Yuuri stopped by the Staff Room, catching up with a few of the Professors in preparation for his upcoming absence. He’d already started working ahead on a few classes and hoped he could finish most of his assignments before leaving. They would let him turn them in upon his return, but he knew they’d weigh heavily on him if he didn’t deal with them up front.

The Professors were one of his favorite parts of the school. Despite the fact that Viktor and Jo usually had better grades than him, Professor Slughorn was always happy to see him about any Potion question. In Defense Against the Dark Arts where his grades had been surprisingly high, Professor Weasley was always kind enough to refrain from putting Yuuri on the spot too often, especially not on first thing on Monday mornings now that the new term began. Professor Flitwick would even hand him a cup of tea in class if he looked a bit peaky.

It seemed like, with the exception of Professor Binns, all of his Professors genuinely wanted him to succeed.

“You know Katsuki,” Professor Flitwick mentioned as they went over the wand movements for a spell he’d be missing next week; “all of us were a bit worried about bringing all your skaters in. We thought with such hectic schedules you’d all be far too busy to focus on our classes, but I must say, you’ve all proven quite the opposite. Your most recent essay was a delight to read. Your take on the topics always hints at your past education in ways I’ve never seen mentioned. Have you given any thought to your future?”

Yuuri was a bit surprised by the question but thought it over honestly, “Well, I want to skate, of course, but realistically that career has an expiration date. I had thought about coaching at some point, but I recently learned how to use my magic when I skate. It made me think that maybe wizards might like to learn to skate, but it also made me curious about why my magic takes the shape it does when I skate.”

Flitwick smiled, “That curiosity is sure to take you far. For what it’s worth, however, I think you’d make a good teacher.”

“Really?” He couldn’t help but let his mind flick to all the times he’d explained the History lessons to Viktor. He hadn’t disliked the experience, even when other classmates would join them.

Flitwick nodded, “Just keep it in mind. Being a teacher grants you access to all the latest research and gives you time to do some of your own. Though perhaps you won’t need the salary to fund your research after skating.”

Yuuri blushed, “Viktor might not, but it’s hard to say for me just yet.”

“Well then you’d better not worry about your charms work while you’re away next week so you can perform your best, yes?”

Yuuri smiled and nodded before leaving the room, hurrying down to the rink for a bit of light practice before dinner. Celestino had worked him hard that morning so Minako had instructed him to take it easy tonight. He didn’t protest since he was already nearly dead on his feet.

After a quick change in his room, he made his way down the long, dark dungeon hallway until he approached the door with the #6 beside it, breathing deeply as that cold air filled his lungs, cleansing what lingering stress the day had pressed into his bones.

Mila was lying on the mats in the corner, stretching and working in some yoga poses with a pair of headphones over her ears and her eyes closed, but Viktor was on the ice, the room filled with music as he skated. The song was moving, and Yuuri’s eyes were instantly locked on Viktor where he slid along the ice, letting his body speak for him.

But what really drew Yuuri’s eyes was the soft blue light that seemed to be seeping from Viktor’s body, glowing around him like some sort of aura. It swirled and moved, hovering just over his skin, its hue varying ever so slightly along with the music as Viktor leap into one of the prettiest Quads Yuuri had ever seen; it was so moving Yuuri couldn’t even bother with identifying the type.

And as beautiful as it was, it only grew more so when Viktor turned and spotted him and the color surrounding him instantly burst into the brightest of yellows, pushing harder from within him, so much more intense than the blues had been.

It was that intensity that drew Viktor’s eye for the first time. He stared at his hand, face full of curiosity and all but whispered, “Yuuri? Can you see this?”

Yuuri nodded and quickly set to work strapping on his skates. “You were blue before, but not nearly so intense.”

Viktor’s eyes were wide. “I’ve been trying to be honest with my feelings as I skate. That song had some lyrics that just struck a chord with me; maybe that’s what finally did it.”

“You knew this would happen?”

Viktor shrugged, “Not this exactly, but I was thinking about how you said you’d sometimes hear that song, so I thought about what seemed to flit through my mind, and this is it. Well, not this. This seems to be a basic form, but it’s a start.”

The colors were fading, but Viktor seemed to be focusing on his fingers. “Yuuri, do me a favor and do something cute or sexy, something that’ll rile me up.”

Yuuri couldn’t help the blush that flared on his cheeks and Viktor’s finger tips suddenly glowed pink so brilliantly they seemed to almost be oozing the color in liquid form.

Viktor laughed, “Well done Yuuri.”

“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you? All I did was blush!”

“Da, but it was enough to get me going again. Watch this; I think I can do it.”

Viktor lifted his hand, still all but dripping the color and then waved his hand in the air, stroking his fingers against the nothingness, but rather than simply moving through the air, he left behind a stroke of color, creating a bright pink heart in mid-air that lingered for a moment after his fingers had moved on.

“Vitya! You can paint!”

Viktor chuckled, “It’ll actually be more, eventually, I think. Whenever I’m really into my skating I always imagine painting a picture for the audience so I can transport them to the place I am.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile. “That’s so beautiful, Vitya.” He kissed his boyfriend’s cheek, “I’m so proud of you.”

Viktor blushed heavily, and the pink color seemed to glow out of him again ever so slightly. “I’m glad I can do more than sad colors though. That seemed the easiest thing at first, but this actually feels much better, not just because it doesn’t hurt, but because it feels more right.”

Yuuri smiled, “In some ways you’re way beyond me. I’ve always focused on just that one song, but I think I can shape the music however I want.”

“Really, can you make a new song?”

Yuuri shook his head, “Not yet, but I have something in mind. It’s not so much making one as it is letting my feelings take form.”

Viktor nodded, “That’s what it’s like for me too. Oh Yuuri, this is amazing. Imagine when we both can do it, what we’ll create!”

Yuuri could imagine it and it was beautiful. “I guess we really will have to work on our pairs skating.”

Viktor giggled, but was cut off by Mila joining them on the ice, oblivious to all that had just transpired.

“Yuuri! You’ll never believe it; I landed a Quad!”

“Really? The Toe Loop?”

“Nope, a Salchow. It was our last normal practice before Europeans and we did our jumps like when you were there, Viktor landed a Loop by the way.”

“Did you really?” Yuuri was surprised.

Viktor just shrugged, “Fluke.”

“Some fluke,” Mila chuckled. “But I tried the Toe Loop and under rotated and I was really frustrated, but I focused on just shaking it off and figured, why not? I tried the Salchow figuring I’d fall but I landed it! I couldn’t believe it. I knew I couldn’t use it at Europeans, but just knowing I had done it gave me so much confidence!”

Yuuri hugged her tight, “I’m so proud of you Mila! Did you tell Sara?”

Mila blushed, “I did. When we got back yesterday I told her about it and showed her my Gold, and I realized she’s always the first person I want to tell those things too.”

“Does that mean?” Viktor looked curious as he stared at Mila.

She sighed and shrugged, “Yes and no? I asked her to study with me every night though. I can’t really take her on dates, but I want to be with her as much as possible, and not just as a friend; so that’s what we’re doing.”

Yuuri smiled, “That seems nice. I’m glad you have found something that works for both of you.”

Viktor nodded and draped himself over Yuuri, “We should go on a double date to the beach this summer. Not too early so the two of you can get used to things, but soon, da?”

Mila blushed but nodded.

 

As the week progressed, Viktor’s control over his painters magic seemed to grow stronger, though only in control rather than in outright power. During classes and breaks, Yuuri often times noticed him stroking his fingers across the air, as if imagining some scene he wanted to reveal; and when he focused himself he could easily call forth the color in his fingers with even more regularity that Yuuri could produce his own music.

It seemed while Yuuri had been quickly able to access the full range of his power, Viktor was able to control what he had with exacting precision. The similarities of their magic to their skating styles was not lost on Yuuri, and he presumed that Viktor was choosing to approach this much as he would learning a new jump in skating.

In all other things they were the opposite, but in this, they seemed to have switched places, which made Yuuri wonder if maybe his studious habits might not be his true nature. His skating had always been emotions first, technicality second, and his best moments of magic had been when he let his heart lead him. He remembered when he protected Viktor and Mila on their first day of Defense Against the Dark Arts, of how Minako trained him, never giving him a moment to think.

What if the studying, the care he took with so many aspects of his life, what if that was a safety net? He thought back, trying to remember when it began, but the further back he looked, the foggier it became, all the way up until he began school.

He remembered his first day of classes, how he’d drawn up his first ever study schedule. He’d never used one before, so why then? That was his first day in the true wizarding world, so he shouldn’t have been nervous and afraid then.

But, then again, it wasn’t his first time – his wand choosing was the first, only he didn’t remember it.

He’d seen them though. They were held a few months before the start of term, with all the new students coming to the school and meeting with the wand maker to choose the tool that would carry them through their education and into adulthood. It was a partner that would be with them for the majority of their lives.

The whole school sat in seats above the floor, watching as the newest witches and wizards would enter the room, surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of wands. The simplest and most common types of wands were near the front, and many students never made it more than a few steps before they were drawn to a wand that would glow invitingly to them.

A few would make it quite far down the rows of tiny boxes, each containing a unique wand.

Only once had someone made it to the end, though Yuuri hadn’t seen it; no one talked about it other than to whisper about that one time that one kid got to the very end before finding the wand.

Yuuri wondered how far he made it. His wand was powerful, so it must have been fairly far, but he wasn’t anything special. If he was, someone would have said something, wouldn’t they?

If only he could remember that day. Maybe someone had pushed him and he’d been buried under mountains of wands. That would be reason enough to be a bit fearful and to have blocked out the day. Then again, no one had ever made fun of him for it.

He both wished he could remember, and contented himself to the reality that he probably never would, choosing instead to focus on the now; and the now was Four Continents, because before he could even blink, it was Thursday, and he was packing a bag (since he’d be gone for more than a weekend) as he prepared to leave the next day.

“Will you spend the night with me?” Viktor asked as he sat on Yuuri’s bed, directing Yuuri on which trousers he should pair with which sweater.

Yuuri didn’t even pause as he nodded, depositing the shirt he was folding in the pile and sinking down next to Viktor, kissing his cheek gently. “I take it you’ll miss me?”

Viktor nodded, “I don’t know why, but this is worse than all those times I had to leave for competitions.”

Yuuri smirked, “Yeah, being left behind is hard, but leaving is hard too.”

They snuggled closer and idly placed Yuuri’s things in his bags. “Your suit is at home?” Viktor asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t see any reason to bring it. I’ll bring it back with me this time though since I’ll be leaving from here for Worlds.”

Viktor flung himself back on the bed with a smile, “It’s almost too easy coming up with an excuse for that. We’re all in the same place, going to the same place, why would we all fly home only to then fly back the other way?”

Yuuri chuckled, “It sounds silly, but I almost wish we were all flying together. It’s sometimes fun to fly with friends: watching movies, napping, reading and talking together. It can be nice.

 “I wouldn’t mind it with you, but usually it just gets boring pretty fast.”

“Fair enough. The flight to Canada last summer was pretty long and boring after the first few hours with only Celestino for company.”

Viktor nodded vigorously, “And Celestino’s actually pretty good humored. Imagine that flight with Yakov! He just brings some old, boring Russian novel and glares at you if you wiggle around too much, or tease Yurio and start a gummy bear fight. And then he steals your gummy bears because you aren’t allowed to eat them and how did you even get those Viktor?”

Yuuri snorted, “I take it you like to throw gummy bears at Yurio and make him kick your seat?”

Viktor shrugged with a grin, “I get bored.”

Yuuri could imagine he did. Viktor could barely make it through their double lessons, and those were filled with pops and explosions from various spells going off. Viktor in a plane for the better part of the day, forced to sit still and stay quiet? It had to drive him batty.

“Are you done?” Viktor asked, looking at the now packed bags.

Yuuri nodded and zipped the suitcase closed. He actually didn’t have much luggage beyond a duffle bag so he was borrowing one of Viktor’s which he was sure cost more than anything he’d ever bought in his life, combined; even including the rare Viktor Nikiforov fan merchandise he’d picked-up in online auctions for highly exorbitant prices.

“Let’s go to bed,” he agreed, grabbing his bags while Viktor grabbed the spare clothes he had set out for the next day, carrying the lot back to Viktor’s room. They only cuddled that night, but Yuuri wouldn’t want it any different; lying together while Viktor traced simple designs into the air above them with glowing fingers that alternated between reds and yellows, to greens and purples, the color lingered a bit longer as he traced aqua swirls along Yuuri’s body, a look of contentment in his eyes.

“I love you, zoloste,” he whispered as they both drifted to sleep.

 

The days sped by in a flurry of practice and training so hectic that Yuuri soon forgot what day of the week it was, eventually just sending a Viktor a text apologizing if he ever woke him or called at a bad time, and to just call if Yuuri ever missed one of their agreed upon call times. Viktor responded by texting Minako asking her to make sure Yuuri didn’t accidently walk to the rink instead of home after ballet practice.

Before Yuuri knew it he was on a train with Celstino and Oda, bags stowed in the luggage rack as the Shinkansen sped past the countryside as it carried them to Saitama. He idly wondered if the purpose of keeping him so busy was really to make sure he was ready, and not just an attempt to keep his nerves quiet. Either way it worked, and Yuuri embraced the calm that settled in his heart as he spent the rapid ride in peace, texting his friends around the world to pass the time. He even took a selfie with the scenery a blur in the window behind him for all his wizard friends in Muggle studies who were sure to appreciate the Shinkansen picture.

About an hour before his train was due to arrive he got a text from JJ and they made plans to meet at the hotel for dinner when Yuuri got there. As soon as he’d sent off the text his phone rang and he smiled, quietly answering the call from Viktor.

 “I don’t have much time before class but I wanted to say good morning!”

Yuuri giggled, “Ohayou, Vitya. How was History without me?”

“Horrible. Never leave me again.”

Yuuri snorted into his sleeve. “Take notes in ‘Chemistry’ for me today.” Chemistry was their agreed upon code word for Alchemy since it wasn’t a Muggle friendly subject.

“I will. I’ll even draw hearts in the margins for you.”

Yuuri smiled. “Call me when you get out of class? I should still be up by then, at least for a little while. Our practice isn’t until 10 tomorrow so I can sleep in a bit.”

“Da. Make sure you relax tonight. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“God you two are too much,” Oda chuckled as Yuuri hung up. “I’d lecture you about putting skating first, but I don’t know which of you is more obsessive about your practice.”

Yuuri nodded, “Skating has always been an escape for me. Now that I have Viktor with me I only want to do it more. I’m lucky.”

Oda nodded but said nothing as the train began to slow and the sprawling city came into view.

 

An hour later he was at his hotel and found Mari and Minako waiting in the sleek and modern lobby of a hotel far nicer than any he’d ever stayed at. He’d expected Minako, but Mari hadn’t said anything about coming. He narrowed his eyes as he realized she must have begged Minako to bring her with her at the last minute.

“Yuuri!” Mari came jogging up to him excitedly, “Apparition is so cool!”

“Minako,” Yuuri scowled, “Didn’t you lecture Viktor, Otabek and I just last month about this?”

Minako shrugged with a grin that clearly said she was above such things.

“What are you doing here? Do you even have a hotel?”

Mari and Minak grinned as Oda came up behind Yuuri, placing an arm good naturedly around his shoulder with a chuckle. “Oh Yuuri, you’re in for a treat.”

Yuuri blinked up at Oda but was distracted by Celestino approaching with a smile on his face as he handed out room keys. “Minkao and Mari, here you are, two queens. Oda, a single King for you. Yuuri, you’re with me.” He handed Yuuri a key with a room number scrawled on the envelope. “You’ve got a King as well.”

Yuuri was confused. “Wait, I’m sharing but I have a king?”

Celestino grinned, “You’ll see.”

They piled into the elevator, all of them going to the same floor – the top one. Yuuri didn’t know much about fancy hotels, but he did know that the best rooms were always at the top.

Not far from the elevator was Oda’s room, which was roomy and comfortable, with a single large bed and a small sitting area. Next they passed Minako and Mari’s room, which was slightly larger than Oda’s containing a couch rather than just a couple of chairs. The women deposited their bags quickly before chasing after Yuuri and Celestino. Even Oda followed behind them with a grin on his face.

Celestino finally stopped in front of a door and slid his key in the door, and Yuuri couldn’t help but notice the large gap between the doors at this end of the hall. The door opened and Yuuri’s mouth dropped open. In addition to a large living room sat a small kitchenette and two doors on either side of the room. He looked in and found each room contained a king sized bed and a private bathroom with a soaking tub.

“Whaaaa…?” Yuuri screeched. “There must be some mistake! There’s no way I can afford this!”

The others laughed and smiled. Minako was the first to have mercy on him. “This hotel happens to be a big sponsor of the JSF, so they rented out this floor for the Japanese team and its support staff. They made sure to give each of the skaters one of the suites, though they only have one room like this.”

Yuuri gaped, “Then why give it to me?!”

Oda ruffled Yuuri’s hair affectionately, “Same reason they gave me a room at all. They think you and I will be going to Worlds. The Hotel’s owner saw your Exhibition and was impressed, far more than he was by Nakimura or Tanaka. Someone was getting this room, and he figured you could benefit from the space since our team is rather large.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but blush, but years of friendship with Phichit, and months of dating Viktor had taught him one important lesson. “We should take a selfie in here so I can post it on social media and thank them,” he nearly whispered.

Celestino chuckled, “Good job. They’ll be sponsoring you before the season is out!”

“Make sure you tag me so I can thank them also,” Oda agreed. Several minutes and a few dozen photos later Yuuri had properly tagged and posted several photos to Instagram (which were instantly shared on the Twitter Phichit had set up for him), all thanking the hotel for the accommodations.

He phone dinged within seconds with a message from JJ asking for his room number so he could come hang out. Yuuri sent it back and within minutes JJ was walking into the room whistling low. “Wow.”

Yuuri nodded, “I was definitely not expecting this.”

JJ grinned, “Well it is your home country. I’ve hear that I’m getting a pretty nice room for Worlds since it’s my hometown. Though I don’t think it’s anything this nice. They’ll probably give that to Viktor.”

“And if they didn’t plan to, he probably just booked it himself.” Yuuri smirked, knowing his boyfriend all too well. “Do you know if the World’s hotel is pet friendly?”

JJ shrugged, “Not sure. You’re going to be there no matter what, right?”

Yuuri nodded.

“Great! Then you can help me get around here and I can pay you back in Canada. Not that you’ll need much help since between you and Viktor you speak all of our languages.” He shrugged.

“Even if we don’t need the help, we’ll gladly take it. It’s an unfamiliar place after all. It would be a huge weight off my shoulders to not have to worry about finding my way.”

JJ smiled happily, seeming pleased at the thought of sharing his country with friends. He was soon telling them all about Calgary and Yuuri had to admit, having a local along with them was going to make the whole experience that much more entertaining. “By the way, how many shirts do you need for your classmates?” JJ asked, pulling a bag into his lap that he’d brought with him.

Yuuri checked the time, “Hmm, I’m not totally sure. I know two at least, but everyone’s in class so I can’t check.”

JJ shrugged, “Just let me know by tomorrow afternoon. There’s an event being held by the head of the JJ Girls Club and they invited me along. I wanted to bring a few t-shirts to sign for them.” He blushed ever so slightly. “The organizer is that girl I told you about at the GPF who I’ve been dating. She’s from Hong Kong but was in Canada on exchange during our last year of High School.”

Yuuri smiled, “You miss her, I take it?”

JJ nodded, “She might get to come back next year so when she asked me to come to the event, well…”

“You couldn’t say no.”

JJ smiled and shrugged, “What can I say, JJ Style is popular wherever you go.”

Yuuri laughed and pointed to his coaches and Mari who were sitting at the table deciding on where to go for dinner. “Well, if you need a translator, I’m sure you could bribe one of them with free booze.”

JJ laughed, “I’ll keep that in mind. Shall we get some food? I don’t know about you but I’m starving.”

Yuuri laughed and together they headed out to explore the area.

 

Yuuri was on the ice the next morning, reveling in the excitement that ran like an undercurrent in the air. He’d always been so nervous at any types of competitions or events like this one, but for some reason today felt different. He smiled as he looked at the ice, acknowledging that at least some of the calm he felt came from the people surrounding him.

Oda had been sure to introduce Yuuri to Tanaka-san, and it turned out the older skater was as kind and accommodating as Oda, and seemed just pleased to be at the competition at all. JJ for his part had called all of the Canadian and American skaters over as they’d been leaving the hotel in the morning, introducing Yuuri to them all since most of them had no idea who he was. They were all very friendly and they all chatted as they walked the few blocks to the rink. Even if part of their acceptance was the eagerness to be on good terms with someone who knew the local language, it was still nice to have a few more people to talk to.

Once they had gotten to the rink, Yuuri had run into the Korean ladies skater he’d met over the summer and she had happily introduced him even more skaters. To top it all off, Celestino and Minako seem to have gotten into a drinking contest the night before and were both wearing sunglasses and nursing bottles of water. Several of Celestino’s former students were in attendance and both coaches would wince every time someone called out to him. The other skaters would usually giggle at their old coach, sharing a wink with Yuuri over the state of the well-liked coach.

The atmosphere and smiles had Yuuri feeling remarkably comfortable as he began his practice session, quickly working through his short program before focusing in on his free skate. He felt fairly confident in it, but the reality remained that the program was only about 6 weeks old. There was undoubtedly some weaknesses in it that he just hadn’t had time to work out.

There was no use panicking over any of that, however, since worry over things he couldn’t change would only create more mistakes.

At least that was what Celestino had reminded him of that morning before they took to the ice.

JJ watched him with a careful eye as he skated over to the wall after his first run through of his Free Skate, marking the jumps so as not to give away his biggest components.

“That’s a new program,” JJ said softly. Yuuri nodded up at his friend who was grinning. “This just got more exciting.”

Yuuri laughed, “Yeah, if by exciting you mean terrifying, then sure.”

JJ patted his back before skating off to run his own program.

There was a spray of ice as someone slid to a stop next to him, and Yuuri didn’t even have to ask to know who it was. Nakimura was staring up at him with an uneasy look that had Yuuri feeling like he was being assessed.

“So you’re Oda’s new pet?” the old skater asked, a small sneer on his lip.

Yuuri tilted his head to the side before smirking and extending a hand, “My name is Katsuki Yuuri! I’m one of the dime-a-dozen top figure skaters certified by the JSF. I’m 17. My name makes me sound strong, but I finished third in my first Nationals. I still can’t accept what happened!” He winked cheekily at the now stunned silent skater.

There was a slightly awkward moment before the other cautiously reached forward and shook his hand. “I’m Takimura. 21. I don’t know what everyone sees in you but I won’t be giving up any spots to some kid who can’t even skate full time.”

Yuuri smiled and shrugged, “I wouldn’t ask you to, but I’m going to fight for every chance I can get.”

Nakimura stared at him again before skating off.

“That was downright friendly,” Oda teased as he walked up to Yuuri and handed him a towel from the barrier.

“Is he always like that?” Yuuri sighed as he rubbed the towel over his face.

“He’s not normally as fired up, but he’s never exactly social. He’s not a bad guy, just not really all that great either. I’d like to say we’re friends but we only see each other at things like this and pretty much just put on a nice face for the cameras.”

Yuuri sighed, “Tanaka seems nice though.”

Oda nodded, “I met him when I was still a Junior, he’s a good guy. He kept at this a lot longer than anyone thought he would. He never really placed all that high internationally, but he loves the sport so he keeps at it. I think he plans to coach novices next year.”

Yuuri nodded, “He’ll be good at it. He’s good at fundamentals and he’s got a really calming presence about him.”

Oda agreed before continuing, “Anyways, Celestino says one more run and then get cleaned up. The press wants to interview all of Japan’s skaters in 30 minutes.”

Yuuri gulped, he wasn’t eager for this part.

“Don’t worry, Minako and Celestino will be with you the whole time. Plus I’ll be deflecting a lot of the attention. I got officially cleared this morning to participate at Worlds, so that’ll divert most of their attention. They’ll probably assume you’re out and focus more on Nakimura from then on.”

“I’m a dark horse,” Yuuri said softly.

“Yep, and no one will see you coming. That’s the goal. They want you to do well; this is a great place to ease your nerves.”

Yuuri nodded and finished his practice, doing his best to ignore the knowledge of what he was about to face.

Once he had packed away his gear in a locker and cleaned up a bit he headed out of the locker room, slipping on his new jacket the JSF had given him. It was black and blue, with Japan written across the back. He had to admit he was proud to wear it.

Celestino was already talking to the press with Minako by his side interpreting. Both of his coaches seemed to have gotten past the worse of their hangovers and were looking fresh faced and alert. Yuuri walked up to them and the reporters quickly turned their attention on him. Yuuri felt Minako wrap and arm around his shoulder. He took a deep breath and the questions began.

“Katsuki-kun, it was just revealed that Oda-san has been cleared and will be attending Worlds. While the official roster has not been announced, it seems unlikely you will be chosen based on your Nationals placement, how does that make you feel going into competition this weekend?”

Yuuri smiled politely, “I’ve been honored to have Oda-san mentor me for the past few weeks while he recovers. It is sure to benefit my future skating career to have his help as I prepared for this competition. I’ve known my Nationals placement since December. My only focus this weekend is performing my best, regardless of the outside circumstances.”

Based on Minako’s grin he’d done well.

“Are you still dating Viktor Nikiforov?”

Yuuri laughed and simply nodded. The questions went on from there, but they were mostly about simple topics like his program inspiration and goals for next season. Before he knew it they were done with him, though many of the reporters quietly wished him luck and told him they were excited for his performance.

He and his coaches began to leave, all eager to get some lunch after a hard practice (and even harder set of hangovers) when they stepped past Nakimura and happened to overhear the interview.

“How do you feel about the challenge from young Katsuki-kun? Are you worried about your own position given that the JSF has not announced their plans for their World’s participants?”

Nakimura chuckled darkly, “Absolutely not. It was obvious they wanted to make sure Oda healed properly. He clearly has, so I expect the final seeds to be announced before the end of Four Continents. The JSF isn’t about to send some inexperienced kid to face the world at such an important competition when it’s possible Oda’s performance won’t be its best.”

Yuuri’s mouth gaped and he stumbled as Minako suddenly pulled on his arm and yanked him out of the building.

“That cheeky git,” Minako muttered. “He just called out you and Oda, as if he stands a chance against either of you!”

“He could though. He’s a good skater, he just let’s himself get distracted. If he focuses he could beat either of us.”

Minako glared, “Aren’t you mad?”

Yuuri thought about it; truthfully, yes, he was. But the thoughts of one person who was obviously nervous about his future wouldn’t shake him.

At least that’s what he told himself, but by dinner time he’d managed to work himself up enough to be thoroughly annoyed, enough so that Viktor noticed the edge in his voice over video chat.

“What’s wrong Yuuri?” Viktor asked gently when they spoke on the phone. It was Viktor’s busiest day of class, but instead of eating lunch in the Great Hall, he was sitting in a quiet alcove with a sandwich talking to Yuuri.

“It’s stupid, really. Nakimura was just saying that the JSF wasn’t going to trust Japan’s standing to a newcomer’s hands when Oda was questionable. I know it’s bluster but…” He paused and sighed, not sure what to say.

“You think there’s some truth to it,” Viktor finished for him. “You know he’s just trying to get into your head. He knows the JSF is angry at him; he knows they’re going to punish him, but he just doesn’t know when they’ll do it. He’s trying to call their bluff, make them rethink things.

“Everyone handles competition differently. Some people band together, while others try and play mind games. It’s something you’ll have to live with; either ignore it, or let it fuel you. Which would you rather do, zoloste?”

Yuuri sighed, thinking hard on the subject. A part of him wanted to try and just forget how the words twisted inside of him, but he had to admit, he was stubborn and actually a bad loser. “I’d rather fight back.”

Viktor smiled, “I’m not surprised, you’ve been fighting all this time. This is just the next round.”

“You mean this isn’t the end?”

Viktor giggled, “Nope, that’s Worlds, at least for this season. Then it starts all over again, proving you’re not just a fluke. Proving you’ve got what it takes to be the best, to take on the likes of me and Oda without breaking a sweat, and it’s an added benefit if you’re attractive enough to sell some posters which believe me, you are.”

Yuuri sighed, “I just worry I’ll disappoint everyone.”

Viktor smiled kindly, “So is everyone else. We’re all fighting very hard for something that only one person can achieve, and we all know it. But part of winning is learning how to handle that pressure. I know you can do it; I saw how you bounced back from Nationals. You’re ready, Yuuri.”

Yuuri nodded, taking a series of deep breaths, “Don’t you need to be getting to class?”

“Yeah, but its History so who cares?”

Yuuri laughed, “I care. Take good notes today.’

Viktor whined, “At least give me a good reward.”

Yuuri looked around, thinking hard on what incentive he could give Viktor for behaving in class. His eyes glanced around the room and landed on the bag of supplies Minako had given him and a blush crept up his face rapidly.

“Yuuri! What are you thinking about? You look so cute when you blush!”

“Um…Minako gave me some stuff, for you and I to use when we, you know…” he trailed off, too embarrassed to go on.

“Oh,” Viktor practically whispered as a blush swept over his face.

“Don’t worry, I’m not trying to pressure you!”

Viktor chuckled, “I know, zoloste. I know I’ve been a little hesitant, but the more I practice my magic, the better I feel. There’s something really honest in visually expressing how I feel, and the more I do, the more I want to share myself with you. All of me.”

Yuuri looked down, the blush intensifying, but he couldn’t help the smile that spread over his cheeks. “I want that too, Vitya.”

Viktor smiled, “We’ll do it together. I promise. Now I want you to start focusing on making that moron eat his words. You’re an amazing skater, and I’m not just saying that because I like staring at your butt. I love everything about you, and I want you to show the world what I see. Will you do that for me, Yuuri?”

Yuuri swallowed, letting his resolve form in his gut. “Yes, I’m going to do it Vitya. I’m going to make the world see me.”

“Oh zoloste, they already do. Now it’s just time to show them why they can’t look away.”

 

Yuuri went into his short program with a new sense of purpose. He and JJ were skating close to one another in the order so Yuuri spent most of the morning warming up with the Canadian and the American duo who were a bit silly, but reminded Yuuri of his classmates a bit.  They seemed to be trying to get JJ to help them organize a hockey match the day after Worlds as a fun get together for all the skaters.

“Come on, it’s Canada! We have to play hockey!”

“Canadians do more than play hockey!” JJ argued.

“Yeah?” The younger of the American’s teased, “like what, eh?”

JJ threw a sock at him and the young men found themselves all giggling.

“Hey Yuuri,” JJ asked, “Isabella mentioned something to me and I don’t want to cross a line, but is it true Nakimura is trash talking you to the media? She said one of the JJ girls from Japan was telling her about it and said it was really unfair.”

Yuuri sighed and shrugged, “I heard a few things but I’ve mostly ignored it, or tried too.”

The Americans and JJ all looked grim, “That’s not cool,” the elder American said.

“Seriously, I mean, I know all the other Canadian’s think my personality is a bit much, but they’d never say it to the press. We’re a team. “

Yuuri smiled, appreciating the support. “I think he’s just worried. I’ve come up out of nowhere and I’m getting a lot of attention, at least in part from Viktor. I’m sure he thinks I’m just a publicity stunt. If the tables were turned I could imagine thinking the same.”

“But you’re not a stunt,” JJ said simply. “I’ve seen you skate, anyone who saw you at the GPF knows you’re amazing!”

“What happened at the GPF?” one of the Americans asked. “Does this have to do with Killian? I heard from some friends in Europe that he’s been harassing Viktor all season.”

“Sort of, “JJ replied. “He was messing with Viktor at the GPF, but we sorted it out. But then on the morning of the exhibition Viktor brings Yuuri on the ice with him during practice. There was no one else ready to skate so no one cared, but then Yuuri skated his exhibition, that one that all the foot fetish people online are getting all hot and bothered over; and he throws down a Quad Flip! Only by then almost everyone was at the rink including Durand. Everyone’s sure now that it was your way of telling Durand to back-off.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but smile, “Yeah, in a way. I get protective over Viktor.”

“Damn, a Quad Flip? I thought only Viktor can do those,” one of the Americans whined.

“Not anymore,” JJ smiled, “you are doing one, right?”

Yuuri smiled and nodded.

JJ whistled but grinned, “Well I wanted some fun competition this weekend, now I’ve got it. By the way, don’t let what Nakimura says bug you. It took a really long time for me to find my place and get a coaching situation that suited me. Skating can be kind of uptight sometimes. A lot of people used to think I was just all bluster, but you just got to show them they’re wrong.”

Yuuri nodded, “I will, on one condition.”

JJ blinked, “What’s that?”

“Let me do a JJ Style selfie with you.”

JJ barked with laughter, “Ok, ok, you got it! JJ Style is for everyone; just don’t go making a UU-Style or something!”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh as the Americans told JJ that was the stupidest thing they’d ever heard. “Well that would help people to remember there are two Us in my name!”

The four of them kept on laughing, all the way up until they were finally stepping onto the ice for their group warm-up. Yuuri stepped onto the ice and couldn’t help but smile as the cold, smooth surface greeted him.

He ran through his footwork, before testing a few of his jumps. It was time, and for once he wasn’t nervous. Well, he was, but it more like a slight twitch inside him rather than an overwhelming press on his entire body.

He circled the ice, taking a few passes at his footwork and tested out a few of his jumps, feeling comfortable and confident as he moved. He shared smiles with the other skaters now and again as they passed, and the atmosphere only added to his relative comfort.

When time was called he made for the exit, eager to complete his warm-up and complete his skate.

“Yuuri!”

He looked up, a wide grin spreading across his face as Phichit bounced up and down next to Celestino, waving happily. Yuuri quickly clicked on his guards and jumped off the ice, hugging Phichit tightly.

“Phichit! You’re here!”

“Of course! Had to skip a few classes, but nothing I can’t make up.”

“Are you sure, what about exams?”

“Didn’t you skip a class nearly every day this time last year?” Celestino asked with a wink. Yuuri blushed before being dragged back to the warm skaters area to wait his turn.

“How did you get here?” Yuuri whispered.

“Flooed to your parents house and then had Minako come get me. I’m just glad I made it on time. I didn’t want to miss you skate this time. You’re going to be great!”

Yuuri smiled, “Thanks Phichit.”

Phichit grinned, “Aaaaand, I didn’t want to miss all this sweet merch!” He opened a large shopping bag Yuuri hadn’t noticed by his feet and revealed at least a dozen posters, t-shirts and charms.

“How much did you buy?!”

Phichit snickered, “Oh it’s not all for me. A bunch of your friends at school asked me to pick-up some things for them. You’ll have a whole load to take back with you.”

“Were there posters of me?” Yuuri asked a bit nervously.

Phichit nodded, “Yup! Viktor told me to get him 3, plus I had to get one for Yuuko, Minako, Riko and the others. I got you one too; you’ve got to have your first official poster!”

Yuuri blushed but smiled. “Thanks. This is seriously embarrassing, but you’re right. I’ll want these things.” Not to mention he might need more than one copy of his poster to get the spell right.

Phichit smiled, “Good, now go introduce me to the Americans! That big one is cute.”

Yuuri blinked, “Wait so you…?”

Phichit shrugged, “I like to keep my options open.”

Yuuri laughed as they walked towards the group, but stopped short when his phone rang. He pulled it out, waving to Phichit to go on and smiled as he answered the video call.

“Good luck Yuuri!” Yuuri nearly dropped his phone as what must have been the entire Great Hall screamed at Viktor’s phone. All of his friends were at breakfast, apparently watching the Live Stream on someone’s laptop.

“Thanks everyone,” he blushed.

Viktor grinned and pulled the phone away from the others, “You’re up soon, da?”

Yuuri nodded, “There’s two skaters ahead of me. I’m just doing my final warm-up now.” He panned the phone down to show his legs jogging in place.

“You looked great in warm-ups.” Viktor paused and blushed, “I’m so proud of you, Yuuri.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but blush back, biting his lip. “Thank you, Vitya. You worked so hard to help me, and I love these programs. They’re so me. I can’t wait to skate them for you, for everyone.”

Viktor smiled, “I can’t wait to watch you. Skate the way you like best and you’ll do just fine.”

Yuuri nodded, noticing Celestino waving for him. “I’d better go. I love you, Vitya.”

“I love you too, zoloste.”

Yuuri hung up and took a deep breath before joining Celestino and Phichit and following them to the rink. He rolled his shoulders as her walked, but couldn’t help the smile that spread on his face as the stepped into the arena. The previous skater was just finishing, but the moment Yuuri came into view the crowd grew excited to see their county’s newest skater.

He normally hated feeling like they were watching him, but today it felt right. Today he wanted to skate for them, to show them how far he’d come. To show how much stronger Viktor, Minako, Oda and Celestino had made him. They had worked so hard to bring him here, and it was time to pay them back.

He slipped off his JSF jacket, the one he was so proud to finally be wearing, handing it to Phichit before slipping off his guards and stepping on the ice. He’d never been a particularly patriotic person, but he couldn’t help but feel pride in his homeland in this moment.

Celestino reached over the barrier and pulled Yuuri into a comfortable hug. “You’re ready for this,” he whispered fervently.

Yuuri nodded, “Thanks Coach.”

With a grin he skated off, smiling and waving to the crowd, trying to thank them just a little for their support, letting it fill him. It was time to skate, to tell the world that he had arrived. He took his position and smiled one last time before the music started and he began to skate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stg this chapter has been cursed. I delayed the publishing so I could deal with some plot points I needed to work out for some later chapters and then, right when I thought I was ready to post last night, I realized I was working on a  _days_ old version and I'd lost more than a thousand words and several of my edits. I was not pleased. But after a small meltdown and a lot of cursing, I rewrote what I lost and I think it turned out better. It's here now and I've had a chance to outline or even write a bit of  _every_ upcoming chapter, so that's exciting. :)
> 
> That all being said I really love this chapter because there was some research involved in making it and I'm weird and really like that stuff. There's also a fair bit of magic and school time, which is always fun. :) 4Cs was originally going to be in Yokohama, but there isn't a decent rink there and I had to make the change to [Saitama](http://cfile3.uf.tistory.com/image/17481143505BD4871C9EB2) which is where the [2014 World Championships](http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/54feea4a766e4161aad17c97511decf5/saitama-super-arena-saitama-japan-22nd-dec-2013-yuzuru-hanyu-jpn-december-dncn27.jpg) were held. This also led to a  _slight_ panic attack about the fact that I said ages ago Worlds would be in Calgary so that led to  _more_ research and the good news is, there is a rink in Calgary. Not as nice as Saitama, but it's fine. Then I had to find hotels because this matters to me and well, I won't burden you with that bit of fun, but here's [Yuuri's hotel](https://www.palace-omiya.co.jp/english/stay.html)! He's in the Royal Suite while the rest of the Japanese skaters and various JSF (and some ISU) officials are in Palace Suites. It's not super realistic, but we'll pretend the hotel owner is a big skating fan and deeply discounted the rooms to the JSF. ;) 
> 
> Not much music in this chapter, but here's [Viktor's mood music](https://youtu.be/pxpLxb5jHO0) when his magic first starts coming out. I think the lyrics would speak to him. You'll see a lot more of his magic coming soon!
> 
> Chapter 36 is around 40% done, and I hope to make some good progress on it tonight and have it up over the weekend. Now for an exciting announcement. There will be a BONUS scene taking place right after Chapter 36 that will be posted outside of this fic (as part of the series). This is for a very specific reason to which I have hinted at in the past. I will post them within minutes of each other (it's already complete) so you can go right from Chapter 36 into an extra chapter! I'll have links posted so make sure you check it out! It's a can't miss moment, but if for reasons you don't read it, you won't suffer any significant plot loss. You'll understand more once it's posted.
> 
> In side news, I posted a new AU this week called [Queens of the Strip](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11264904/chapters/25187820)! This one came out of the blue to me and just drew me in it was so fun. I wrote the entire thing in one sitting and posted it the next morning. It is  _VERY_ different from this fic so make sure you read the tags before reading. It's not going to be for everyone, but I had fun with it. There will be more, so keep an eye out!
> 
> Thanks as always for reading and your patience while I wrap up this journey we've been on. It's so fun and I want it done right. Comments, kudos and shares are SO appreciated, as well as any reqs to review/req blogs as they help me share my work. I'll be back with the very exciting next chapter soon! See you then!


	36. Paint the Sky

By the time Yuuri steps off the ice after his short program he already knows he’s done what he needed. It wasn’t a record breaking performance, but it was solid and skated cleanly, and he’s sure his score will place him somewhere near the top. Seeing the faces of Celestino and Phichit only confirms his beliefs; he is pretty sure he can hear Minako and Mari cheering over the crowd somewhere in the stands. He can’t help but smile in triumph.

He slips on his guards and lets himself be enveloped in Celestino’s big, fatherly hug. “You were brilliant, Yuuri,” he whispered.

Yuuri smiled and hugged back, “Thanks Coach.”

Phichit bounces forward and hugs him tightly, and soon the three of them tipped their way over to the Kiss and Cry, all eagerly vibrating with excitement as they waited for Yuuri’s scores.

Phichit grabbed a cute poodle plush someone must have thrown and stuck it on top of Yuuri’s head. He knew he must look ridiculous but he didn’t bother to move it, choosing instead to reach up and play with the ears a bit as he giggled along with Phichit.

The announcement rang out over the arena drawing their eyes to the screen where Yuuri’s score flashed along with a large 1 next to it, sending the entire crowd into a frenzy, poodle plush going flying as he was nearly tackled by Phichit.

There were still several skaters to go including JJ, but Yuuri didn’t care. For the moment he was in first by a wide margin; and maybe more importantly, Nakimura was four places behind him. Yuuri could see the other Japanese skater grinding his teeth as they passed him on their way to talk with the press.

Tanaka, on the other hand, happily congratulated Yuuri and the two of them talked for a few minutes while Yuuri waited for the press to be ready for him. The older skater had a lot of interesting stories from his years of skating and Yuuri couldn’t help but listen with keen interest, regretting the need to end the conversation when the reporters called for him.

He was halfway through his interviews when JJ skated; their whole group held their breathes as the scores were read. A large two was placed next to JJ’s name causing a whole new chorus of screams and cheers.

Yuuri stared and stared, not quite sure what to think. He was…in first place? How?!

“Oh my God, Yuuri! You’re first!” Phichit cheered, hugging him. Yuuri couldn’t quite process it and watched the rest of the skaters quietly until the day ended; and yet Yuuri’s score remained at the top. He didn’t quite know what to think.

“Yuuri,” Oda put a hand on his shoulder and nodded towards JJ. “Let’s get some dinner, just a little group of skaters.”

Yuuri nodded and grabbed Phichit’s hand, dragging him with them as they headed over to JJ and the two American’s.

“Yuuri! Congrats!” The oldest American who was in 5th greeted him.

JJ stuck out a hand and Yuuri looked at it for a moment before taking it, feeling his arm being shook firmly. He was afraid for a split second to look up into JJ’s eyes, but when he did he was greeted with a smile. “Don’t worry, Yuuri,” JJ winked, “I’ll pull ahead of you tomorrow. I know that Gold medal would just clash terribly with your costume.”

Yuuri blinked and then burst out laughing, “Nice try JJ, but Gold will look way better with my black costume then it does with your green one! Who even wears green?”

JJ chuckled and winked, “Oh don’t you worry. I’ve had a lot of practice pairing Gold with this costume and it looks just fine.”

“We’ll see about that.”

The laughed together and followed the group as Minako and Mari finally joined them and led them off to a restaurant known for good food that wouldn’t attract too many tourists or, more importantly, the international press.

Yuuri sat next to Phichit and Mari, while JJ and the Americans sat across from them chatting. Minako and Oda were on Mari’s other side and Yuuri couldn’t help but notice them talking quietly together in a way that made him smile.

Eventually they finished and their group broke apart for the night. Minako and Oda headed off to drink, while Phichit and Mari decided to go in search some fan merchandise from their favorite boy band. Yuuri for his part decided to go back to the hotel and rest.

The room was deserted when he entered; a text from Celestino letting him know that his coach was out with some of the American coaches.

With nothing else to do he scrolled through the various television stations, thinking to himself that hotels should really upgrade their televisions to Smart TVs so guests could easily watch Netflix. He switched to browsing Instagram after that, but that failed to hold his attention.

He wasn’t familiar with this feeling. It wasn’t nerves, not like anything he’d faced before, but there was something tingling under his skin. He couldn’t help but worry. What if he screwed up again?

He sighed and noted the time, chewing his lip a bit before dialing. He hated that he needed Viktor so bad, but he knew he’d hate himself more if he didn’t ask for his boyfriend’s help and choked tomorrow.

He didn’t even have to wait a full ring.

“Congratulations Yuuri!” a chorus of cheers burst from the speakers and he couldn’t help the small smile that pulled on his lips as he saw all his friends cheering for him. He’d forgotten it was lunch time now. He looked at all their faces as he thanked them, before finally settling on the one he wanted to see most. Viktor was sitting back smiling proudly as the others passed the phone around to talk to Yuuri. Finally the phone was returned to Viktor and he waved to the others while exiting the hall in search of a quiet hallway where they could talk.

“Well done, zoloste. You were beautiful.”

Yuuri sighed and smiled at his boyfriend, “Thanks.”

“You look tense,” Viktor replied softly, his fingers twisting in his hair.

“I’m in first.”

“You are, and I’m very proud of you. You skated cleanly and with so much passion. It was deserved.”

Yuuri let his fears bubble up to the surface, “But what if I screw up tomorrow? Everyone’s got these expectations now!”

Viktor smiled and shushed him gently, “Actually they don’t. Your short program was derived from your Free Skate which was stacked in difficulty. But tomorrow’s program is new and everyone knows that. Their biggest fear is you brought your Exhibition, but even that has a lower technical score than your old Free Skate and its 30 seconds too short. You barely made it through last time, so it’s unlikely you’d bring that.

“So they all know now you have a new program. They’re actually all lowering expectations for you. I think the odds have you in 5th tomorrow.”

Yuuri blinked, “Really? How do you know that?”

Viktor winked, “I’ve been at this a while, I know where to look. Also a lot of reporters have emailed me in the past few hours asking for hints. Celestino gave me permission to confirm you’re running a new program tomorrow, but that’s all I’ve said.”

Yuuri stared and laughed, “So they all think I’ll have an unpolished program tomorrow?”

Viktor nodded, “Da, so pressure’s off. Even if you stumble, it’ll still be far more than they’re expecting. No one knows how hard you work or how talented you are.”

Yuuri sighed, “That’s helps.”

Viktor chuckled, “Yes, it does, but it won’t always be this way. Tomorrow you’ll go out and surprise them, but someday soon this will happen again and they _will_ expect you to win and you need to be prepared for that.”

“How do you do it?”

Viktor smiled, “It’s not easy, but it helps to think of it this way. We train very hard, our bodies know what to do, but we are only human. We’re going to have bad days where we fall and can’t get anything right. But there will also be good days, World Record breaking days, days where we land Quad Flips for the first time. You’ll have both kinds of days. Your goal for right now should just be skating in a way that makes you happy, and maybe, getting a new personal best. Beyond that, don’t worry about it.”

“But what if…”

Viktor cut him off, “It doesn’t matter. Look at Killian. He was in first after the Short at the GPF, he was expected to win. I might be the reigning World Champ, but most people think that was a fluke. He’s the champion, he’s the one that they expect to win Gold; and he screwed up, spectacularly. But did they turn on him, boo him? No, the crowd still cheered and supported him. Then he came back a few weeks later with a new program and beat me. The audience doesn’t care if you mess up, they’re still going to support you and cheer for you. You’ll only lose them if you don’t try.”

Yuuri thought about this carefully. He’d always felt like the audience was judging him, but Viktor was right, they cheered hard no matter how a skater’s performance went. He’d seen it first hand from watching Viktor for years. He’d never really cared about the score (though he always wanted Viktor to win), he just wanted to see him do his best. He loved watching Viktor skate, no matter the score. And maybe he didn’t have as many fans as Viktor, but he had Phichit, Minako and Yuuko, not to mention his friends at Hogwarts too. How many of them had come to Hatsetsu to cheer him on just days after he’d messed up so badly at Nationals? They didn’t care about scores.

“I have an idea that might help,” Viktor said softly. “I know you can’t skate right now, but why don’t you dance and let your magic out a bit. Celestino’s not there, right?”

Yuuri nodded.

“Then do it. Dance for an hour while I’m in class. By the time you’re done you’ll feel better and I’ll be back.”

Yuuri blushed, “You mean you’ll stay on the phone with me?”

Viktor blushed back, “I mean, I’ll have to have you muted and in my pocket, but yes, we can keep the call connected.”

Yuuri really liked this idea. “Ok! How long till class?”

“10 minutes. Why don’t you get ready quickly so I can watch for a few minutes before I have to go? I’ll just be watching and then slip away so I don’t disturb you. If I’m lucky you won’t even notice I’m gone.” He winked and Yuuri smiled back before setting the phone on the bed and dashing over to his suitcase and changing, making sure Viktor couldn’t see. He swore he heard Viktor mutter “cheapskate” just after he tossed his pants onto the bed.

He usually used leggings when doing ballet but hadn’t thought to bring any with him, but he did have a pair of hot shorts that he normally used for pole dancing, and sometimes wore to bed when it was too hot for sweat pants. They would do. He slipped them on, leaving his slightly baggy t-shirt in place before picking up the phone and his wand and strolling out to the living room. He flicked the wand and carefully slid the furniture out of the way just enough that it created a space, but still looked like something he could do on his own. He propped up his phone on the coffee table and stowed his wand under a pillow on the coffee table just in case.

“Ok, I’m ready,” He smiled, stretching out a bit.

Viktor gaped. “Holy…shit Yuuri, I’m going to have dreams about those shorts.”

Yuuri snorted and sent his boyfriend a look, “Don’t tease.”

“Oh I’m not. I am very serious about how much I want you to crush my head with those thighs”

“I thought you didn’t have a crush fetish?”

“I’m rethinking that policy.”

Yuuri laughed and began to dance, letting Viktor’s quiet presence calm him. Soon the music was flowing out of him, and even though he knew Viktor probably wasn’t watching, he let himself focus on performing for him.

The music encompassed him as he twirled and danced across the floor, not caring so much about perfection, more interested in just letting the tension that had been building in his muscles flow out. Soon he was sweating; his muscles feeling warm and loose, while his mind felt calm and free.

A movement caught his eye and the music cut off as he turned to see Phichit watching him. He breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t Celestino, forgetting completely to lock the door with magic.

“Yuuri, what was that?” Phichit asked

“Dancing?” Yuuri evaded, earning him a sour look from Phichit.

“Baka, I know that. What was with that music? It was beautiful, but it felt different? I don’t know how to explain it.”

Yuuri sighed and pointed to the couch, “Sit, I’ll show you.”

Phichit plopped down and Yuuri took a deep breath before pulling in on himself and beginning to dance again, letting the music flow out. It was so easy to get lost in this and he couldn’t wait to skate a program to it one day. He’d shown it to Leo back at Hogwarts while Viktor had been away and Leo had recorded it, promising to turn it into an arrangement fit for Muggle consumption.

“Yuuri, that’s amazing. How do you do that?”

Yuuri collapsed onto the couch by Phichit. “I don’t exactly know how it works, but it’s something Viktor and I have been working on. We basically just focus really hard on showing our emotions when we skate, or dance in this case, and then let our magic leak out. Mine makes music.”

“Whoa, that’s so cool! What does Viktor’s do?”

“So far the best he can do is make this colorful aura around him, or kind of paint colors with his finger tips. He says he’ll be able to do more soon.” Grateful that he only moved the couch and table a little, he quickly flipped his wand and moved the other pieces back into place before pocketing his wand in the waist band of his shorts.

“Pfft,” Phichit snickered, “Is that a wand in your pocket, Katsuki, or are you just happy to see me?”

Yuuri laughed and toweled the sweat off his neck with the washcloth he’d had the foresight to bring with him when he was setting up.

“You should ask Minako about it though. Viktor and I started doing this to deal with anxiety and our more complicated emotions, but if anyone can help you find yours its Minako.”

Phichit worried his lip before looking back at Yuuri, “I might not be in Hatesetsu much longer.”

“What?” Yuuri sat up, staring at his friend, “Why?”

Celestino is thinking about going back to America after Worlds. He says since your school can take you anywhere, there’s no real need for him to be here.”

“But what about you? He knows you have school here!”

Phichit shrugged. “Minako and I have been talking. I don’t have to dorm here in Japan; I could easily get an apartment there and just Floo back for classes.” He twisted his fingers in his palm, “I’m also not going to take as many classes next year. Enough so I’ll be alright later on, but probably only a half load. I’d rather focus on skating. I’m not like you, I can’t do both, at least not well, and seeing you skate here makes me a little jealous. I want to be here with you next year.”

Yuuri feels his heart grow warm, “Of course! Whatever you need, and if you need help with the classes you do keep, just let me know. If you want to go to America that’s fine, I’m sure we can work out the schedule, and if we can’t I can always train in Russia. I don’t want to yet, of course, I want to stay with you and Celestino, but we can make it work!”

Phichit smiled and they hugged. “I miss seeing you at school everyday Yuuri.”

“I miss you too.” He paused, “Have you thought of transferring? I know your family all went to Mahoutokoro, but they wouldn’t be mad if you finished at Hogwarts, would they? I know I’d only be there for another year, but it’d be fun, and you’d make so many friends.”

Phichit blushed, “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought of it.”

“And?”

“I’m still not sure. I think at least a part of me is afraid I’ll be a third wheel to you and Viktor.”

“Ok, first of all, no. Is Viktor here now? Nope, just you and me. We’re friends, and while, yeah I spend a lot of time with Viktor at school, believe me, no one feels like a third wheel. They all just pile on us whenever they feel like it, and that’s how we liked it. You’d be just as welcomed as them. If anything Viktor might get jealous of you stealing me away for best friend adventures all the time.

“And secondly, you could never be a third wheel; you’re way too fabulous for something so mundane. You’re the flashy pinstripe or custom rims or something, making us look way cooler than we actually are.”

Phichit smirked, “That is a horrible analogy, and here I thought you were smart.”

Yuuri rolled his eyes, “Think about it. As long as you send them your OWL results they can consider you, though it might be good to have Minako…”

“She already did.”

Yuuri blinked, “She did?”

“A couple of months ago I was pretty lonely and I went to her studio and talked to her about it. A week later she hands me a letter from Hogwarts, inviting me to apply by sending my OWL scores and that they’d be happy to have me.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh, “Sounds just like her, so meddlesome.”

“I know right?” Phichit snickered, “but still, it got me thinking. I’m not sure yet, but I might apply and then decide. I talked to my parents about it during Christmas break last year and they aren’t against it. Seeing how much you’ve grown being there helped me to convince them to at least think about it.

“They’re going to come to Worlds by the way. I told them I wanted to go and they said they’d come with me. They’re excited to dress up as Muggles.”

“You’d better take them shopping first.”

“Way ahead of you,” Phichit winked. “There’s a rumor though.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, Mila and Viktor are already confirmed, but they’ve been riding under the radar in the wizarding world. But you’re a different story; Minako was promoting you a year ago and apparently people are following you closely. There were a couple of wizard reporters today, but they’re under orders to keep their distance from Minako.

“There’s talk that if you make Worlds the local Ministry of Magic is going to get involved. Not just helping you three with transportation, but they might add some seats that Muggles can’t see or hear so the Wizards can watch too. I know it’s not perfect since they’d be separate, but they’d be there. Loads of them from what I hear. That sporting goods store in London has posters of all three of you in the windows and people are really impressed.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but notice the small edge in Phichit’s voice. “Next year you’ll be in it too. I know you can make Worlds with us.”

Phichit looked hopeful, “Do you think I can?”

“I know you can. This is why you should come to Hogwarts! You can practice with Viktor and I all week, then go to Celestino and focus on skating all weekend. Half the reason I’ve grown so much is because Viktor and Mila have been there with me. Having more eyes is so helpful!”

Phichit laughed, “I said I’d think about it, dork.”

“For what it’s worth,” Viktor’s voice popped up from the phone Yuuri had set down ages ago, “I’d love it if you came. The way you move when you skate is so unique! Skating with you even a few days a week would be fun.”

Yuuri and Phichit stared at the phone, “How long have you been back, Vitya?”

Viktor shrugged, “A while. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Phichit and Yuuri both sighed with exasperation but went back to chatting together, including Viktor in the conversation now. The three of them spent most of the night giggling together, watching Viktor prepare to head to Russia, lamenting that Yuuri wasn’t there to help fold his socks (which made Phichit’s eyebrows pop up).

Eventually Celestino came back and told them all off for keeping Yuuri up too long. They were all about to argue when Yakov suddenly found Viktor in whatever corner he’d hidden in when he got to the rink and dragged him to practice by the ear.

“Goodnight zoloste, I love you!”

Yuuri laughed, “Goodnight, Vitya.”

 

When morning came, Yuuri was feeling remarkably confident. Not in a cocky way, but he felt was relaxed and calm whenever he remembered Viktor’s words from the night before. The worst part was how long he’d need to wait to skate, but he soon found an empty hallway far from the press and competitors and started dancing while Minako watched, occasionally barking corrections. It was almost easy to fall into their normal practice rhythm.

Viktor called about an hour before Yuuri needed to skate, promising he could stay until it was time for Yuuri to take the ice.

“Where’s Phichit?” Viktor asked while Yuuri continued to twirl in place, practicing keeping his free leg straight.

“He’s in the stands. I wanted to keep things calm today, and he’s great when I need a distraction, but he can’t really do quiet.”

Viktor snickered.

“Yuuri, your core is looking weak,” Minako grumbled. “Have you been doing any pole work?”

Viktor looked up from what he was doing looking curious and Yuuri thought about growling at Minako.

“Not really. Been kind of busy just learning the skating portion of this program,” he grumbled.

Minako nodded, “We’ll be adding it back in between now and Worlds.”

“Excuse me,” Viktor was actually holding up his hand like he was in class, “what did you mean by pole, Minako-sensei?”

Minako smirked and Yuuri groaned, “Pole Dancing, Viktor. Yuuri’s been doing it for more than a year. He’s very good actually; you should have him show you.”

Viktor’s mouth hung open as he stared at Yuuri. “Zoloste. Those shorts last night…”

Yuuri moaned, “Yes. I wear them to bed sometimes too, but yes, they’re for Pole Dancing. I Pole Dance!”

Viktor seemed to be pinching himself.

“You know, Viktor,” Minako teased, “We could make a little bet or something that if Yuuri doesn’t podium he has to show you.”

“But that’s not fair! I want him on the Podium and I want to see!”

“Fine,” Minako shrugged, “Then he has to show you if he Podiums.”

“I like that!”

“I don’t,” Yuuri muttered, “I’m getting punished if I do well.”

“Oh is that what you think?” Minako poked him. “You and I both know what you want to do to poor, sweet, innocent Viktor,” both boys snorted at this, “and do you really think he could resist your charms if you showed him your dancing? Seems like a good reward to me.”

Yuuri blushed, “Minako…”

“I take the bet!” Viktor squeaked.

Yuuri looked at him, “Vitya…”

“I want to take the bet,” Viktor smiled, looking intensely serious.

Yuuri sighed and sagged in defeat, “Fine, I’ll do it.

Minako laughed while Yuuri and Viktor shared a look. Yuuri took his phone and walked a few paces away from Minako before whispering to Viktor, “Are you sure?”

Viktor nodded, “I am. Now I want you to go out there and skate like I’m the only one watching and you want to seduce me, not sexually, because believe me you don’t need to do anything to do that, but romantically. Focus on wanting to protect me and making me feel comfortable. If that comes out in your program it’ll be perfect.”

Yuuri nodded, “Ok. You’ll watch?”

“Of course. I’ll stay on the phone until you get your scores, then I’ll have to get back to practice. This is technically my lunch break.”

“Alright.” Yuuri paused and took a deep breath, seeing Celestino heading their way and Minako gathering their belongings as the time came for Yuuri’s warm-up on the ice. “I love you, Vitya. Sometimes I think I say it too much, or that the words will grow stale, but it’s true. It’s how I feel and I never want to stop saying it.”

Viktor smiled, “And I never want to stop hearing it. Now go, get your skates on and show everyone what you feel. I might know you love me, but I can’t help but want them all to know you’re mine, and there’s no better way to show that then for you to skate this program.”

Yuuri grinned, “True, it is your love song to me.”

“And it’s yours to me.”

Yuuri went onto the ice for warm-ups feeling happy and relaxed, working through his program a bit, but mostly focusing on steadying his breathing and adjusting to the noise of the crowd. When time ran out he slid off the ice, making sure to ignore Nakimura who was preparing to skate next. The man had been mostly silent since Yuuri had placed first the day before, but Yuuri really didn’t feel like subjecting himself to the company of someone who clearly didn’t respect him.

Instead he focused on the rest of his warm-ups and stretches while listening to his music over and over through his ear buds. Viktor was doing his own warm-ups, so they worked silently together making it almost feel like they were together.

Yuuri took a few deep calming breaths; all he needed to do was to skate one more program and he’d be with Viktor at their next completion. He smiled as he imagined it.

“What are you thinking of?” Viktor whispered.

“I was thinking we can stretch together like this at Worlds.”

Viktor grinned, “It’s a date!”

Yuuri snickered and looked up as Minako and Celestino stepped over to him with smiled on their faces.

“Looks like it’s time,” he whispered.

Viktor smiled, “I’ll be watching.”

He kept his ear buds in until he stepped onto the ice. He could tell by the cheers that JJ had done well but he didn’t mind it too much. JJ might be abrasive, but he wasn’t a bad person, and Yuuri silently wished him luck as he slipped off his jacket and handed his phone off to Minako. He blew a kiss to Viktor and bumped his fist with Celestino before skating to mid ice letting the cool air and the roar of the crowd flow over him like water.

Within him for a moment, as he circled the ice, he could just barely hear his song playing in his heart. He hadn’t called it, but there it was. He smiled letting it flow through him, his own personal song of the strength and love that surrounded him in life.

He took his place and breathed.

The music began and the crowd cheered in excitement as they recognized the song. Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as he danced with light steps and sweet, flowing movements. He felt like he was flying, and he couldn’t help but imagine Viktor skating with him, the red chord on his wrist connecting them. He could barely take his eyes off it as he moved and he could feel the excitement growing within him as the Quad Flip approached.

This whole skate was for Viktor, but this one moment especially. Viktor wasn’t just Yuuri’s boyfriend; he was his destiny and his lover. Or at least he would be just as soon as Yuuri proved to him that he’d never hurt him. He pulled his arms close to him as he spun, showing the gentleness with which he’d hold Viktor, but also the strength with which he’d protect him.

He could give it so freely because he knew it would be given back. Viktor had made him this program to show him just that, and he was reminded of it every time he skated its quick, flowing movements and strong, aggressive jumps.

He jumped into the Quad Flip and spun so fast he could barely count the rotations, but when his skate down cleanly it took everything within him not to cheer right along with the crowd. He kept going, nailing his Quad Triple combo, but stumbled just a bit on his Quad Salchow.

It was a small error and it wouldn’t be a big deduction, but the stubborn part within him pouted a bit as he went into his Triple Axel, temped to make it a Quad. He could practically see his coaches in his head scolding him so he kept his head and flew into his triple landing it as well as he ever had before spinning happily into a combination spin that, as he reminded himself, Viktor had picked out just for him. They had practiced dozens of combinations, finally settling on the one that made Yuuri’s body look best.

He could barely believe it was over when the music ended; everything had just flown by so fast. He held his last pose for a second after the music ended before screaming with joy and throwing his hands in the air. He didn’t care if he won right now; he had done what he’d came here to do. It was a clean program, and his elements were smooth. There was more to be done, but he’d already come so far. He knew, he just knew he’d be wearing a medal today. The color didn’t matter, not really, because he had shown Viktor his love. He’d shown the world.

‘I’m coming, Vitya,’ he thought as he bowed to the judges and waved to the fans; his face beaming as he picked up a few of the cute toys that had landed on the ice and skated towards the exit.

He was instantly caught up in a hug, not just Minako and Celestino, but Mari, Phichit and Oda too, all having run down from the stands and gripping onto Yuuri in happiness. But of course, he only had eyes for Viktor who had a small stream of tears coming from his eyes as he smiled happily.

Yuuri slipped in an ear bud as they went to the Kiss and Cry.

“Are you ready, zoloste?” Viktor asked.

“For what?” Yuuri couldn’t help but ask just as the score were read.

He stared, and blinked and looked again, wishing desperately for his glasses because this couldn’t be…

“For the world to know that you’re here,” Viktor whispered as the score finally registered in Yuuri’s mind.

Silver.

He’d gotten Silver, just missing JJ’s score by just a few shy points. The small stumble hadn’t helped, but it wasn’t the whole reason he lost, and considering how new this program was he could except that.

“We’ll match,” it was lame but it was the only thought in his mind.

Viktor’s laugh filled his ears, “Yes we will! I’ll make sure to pick out some matching outfits and we can take some really cute selfies with them!”

Yuuri laughed, tears falling from his eyes as his coaches, Mari, and Phichit piled on top of him happily. “I did it, Vitya. I love you so much!”

Viktor was crying too, not even bothering to hide it. “You did it, Yuuri.”

They said their goodbyes and Yuuri was soon caught up as reporters swarmed him. He barely had the words to express himself other than to keep saying thank you to the fans and his coaches. JJ came over and within seconds Yuuri found himself wrapped in an overly large hug, “Now that’s some UU-Style Yuuri!”

Yuuri burst out laughing and hugged the Canadian back.

“I told you I’d beat you,” JJ winked.

Yuuri grinned and nodded, “I’ll get it next time.”

The reporters took pictures of them together, and Yuuri pulled Phichit in, telling them how his best friend was going to be skating for Thailand next year and they should all watch him. Phichit blushed and grew uncharacteristically shy as the reporters kindly chuckled and took a few photos.

Then he was on the podium, a smile so big his face hurt but he didn’t care as he happily waved to the hometown crowd, letting their cheers fill him. He was so happy he even did a JJ-Style pose with JJ and the Bronze medalist.

The Americans had both been strong contenders, but the older of the pair had made the podium today and he seemed exceptionally proud as his country’s flag was placed around his shoulders.

Yuuri could appreciate his feelings, practically shivering as the Japanese flag was handed him for his victory lap.

Twenty minutes later the JSF announced Yuuri would be joining Oda at Worlds and the two posed for dozens of photos together, as the press peppered them with questions.

“How do you feel about taking on your boyfriend at Worlds?” one reporter asked.

“I look better in gold then him,” Yuuri responded cheekily, earning him several chuckles.

“How do you feel going against Katsuki-kun, Oda-san? You’re just coming off your injury, do you feel ready?”

Oda smiled, “One of the benefits of working with Yuuri for the past month was getting to make use of his coaches’ expertise. It was a refreshing break and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of new insights to my performance. I think I’ll be able to keep my kohai in check.”

“You wish,” Yuuri smirked, earning him a laugh from Oda as his senpai ruffled his hair, messing up the gel that held it back.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to skate an exhibition after him again! Did you see that ice last time?” Oda teased.

Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh along with the reporters, “Yeah, poor JJ. Someone should warn him.”

Finally the reporters and officials let them leave and the three medalists headed back to the locker room to change.

“You didn’t use your Lutz,” Yuuri commented to the Canadian as they made their way down the halls.

JJ grinned, “Not today.”

Yuuri nodded understanding they’d been seeing at Worlds.

“What about you?” JJ continued, “I have a feeling that Flip isn’t only trick you’ve got up your sleeve.

Yuuri smiled and winked up at the taller teen making JJ laugh.

“I can’t wait.”

“You’re both monsters,” The American groaned. “Next thing you’ll be telling me Nikiforov has another Quad.”

Yuuri stayed very quiet and the other two stared, “He does?!”

“Well no, not yet. Maybe.”

“God,” JJ moaned, “Just when I think I might get an edge on him.”

“Well, we’d be dumb to think he’d ever stop,” the American agreed.

Yuuri just smiled, thinking that Viktor’s jumps should be the least of their worries. They weren’t going to know what hit them when Viktor skated next.

 

The night was a blur with celebration dinners, photos and more smiling than Yuuri had done in a while. Viktor texted and let Yuuri know he was practicing late so he could get back as early as possible the next day, since even with the Exhibition Yuuri would get back just after lunch.

Yuuri ended up spending most of the night packing the bulk of his belongings including more than a dozen t-shirts and posters Phichit and Minako had snagged for him. He felt like a one man Yuuri Katsuki fan club and really hoped no one saw all this and thought he was turning into JJ.

By the time Yuuri was on the ice for his Exhibition he was practically bouncing with anticipation to get back to Hogwarts and see Viktor. The energy didn’t go to waste as he pounded out his Exhibition, chipping the ice up even worse than last time, causing a torrent of screams and an awful lot of signs to wave in the air asking Yuuri to step on them. He tried to ignore those as they made him just a little uncomfortable.

JJ just laughed at him while they quickly cleaned up the ice so he could perform his own Exhibition. Finally it was over and Yuuri practically sprinted back to the hotel to grab his things. Minako had somehow managed to get Celestino invited to drinks with some of the other coaches again so Yuuri could Apparate from there.

“I’ll miss you, Yuuri!” Phichit hugged him.

“I’ll see you next weekend!”

“It’s not the same and you know it.”

Yuuri grinned, “Yeah. Keep working hard for your exams and message me if you need help. My notes from last year are still in my room. I’m sure Mari wouldn’t mind helping you find them.”

He glanced at Mari who just shrugged. “Sure, just make sure you get us Worlds’ tickets. “

Yuuri nodded, “We each get a few sets for our family and Viktor already told me we can use his and Yurio’s if we need extra.”

Mari looked concerned, “Neither of them have anyone coming?”

“Viktor always gives one to his dad, but he never comes. It’s too far for Yurio’s Grandfather to travel, but he’s giving one to our friend Otabek. That’s it really.”

Mari scowled, “Well alright, but tell them they’re part of our family during worlds. We’ll all cheer for them.”

Yuuri grinned, “Thanks Mari, I know they’ll like that.”

Minako patted his head, “I’m proud of you. Now remember all of the lessons I’ve taught you tonight.”

“Minako!”

 “What bet? What lessons?” Mari asked.

Minako looked about ready to answer but Yuuri cut her off, deciding to fight fire with fire, “I heard you didn’t go back to your room last night.”

Minako raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, where were you?” Mari asked, effectively silencing any of Minako’s teasing.

Yuuri laughed and hugged them all, grabbed his things, and spun into the void and back out again into the Head Mistress’ office.

“Well done Mr. Katsuki.”

Yuuri looked up to see Professors Weasley and McGonagall smiling at him. He blushed and stammered his thanks.

“I can have your things brought to your room,” Professor Weasley offered, “I image you’ll want to go to the rink and work off some of that energy.” He winked and Yuuri understood the hint, nodding.

“Thank you Professor. Head Mistress.”

They nodded and Yuuri grabbed his small duffle that contained his skates and headed down to the rink.

He didn’t even have to look to know who was on the ice, and he contented himself to watch for a minute as Viktor glowed a bright and happy red as he danced across the ice. Yuuri laced up his skates, slipped on his medal, and slid out to join him.

Viktor turned and Yuuri saw the silver flash around his neck and smiled, sliding up to him, his newest song slipping out of him as he approached and happily embraced his boyfriend. He could feel the aura surround him in a warm glow that made his heart tingle.

“It feels a lot like my music,” he whispered as the colors flowed over his skin.

“Da, I can’t help but think they were made to work together. Is that your new song?”

Yuuri nodded, “It’s for you and me, like a duet. I think it’s suppose to have words, but I can’t understand them.” He pushed the magic out a little farther and the barest hint of voices skimmed into the sound, but it was impossible to understand.

“Maybe that one’s a bit out of reach right now,” Viktor kissed his cheeks softly. “Are there any others?”

Yuuri breathed and felt within him. There were many songs, all waiting for him to find them, but most were so far beyond him. Except one. He tugged it gently letting the notes come out just a bit.

Viktor’s mouth went heart shaped as he listened, “It’s fun!”

Yuuri laughed, “Yeah, they’re all really different. This one’s, I don’t know, inspiring? But also a lot of fun.”

Viktor grinned, “Skate with me, Yuuri!”

Yuuri didn’t need to be asked twice. They skated, sliding and spinning around the ice, and the longer they skated, the stronger the music became. Viktor pushed his magic to his fingers, and soon colorful streaks were trailing behind him as he flew across the ice.

“You know, I almost tried the Axel during my Free.” Yuuri called over his shoulder as they matched each other in a piece of Yuuri’s Free Skate footwork.

“What stopped you?” Viktor teased.

“Imagining Minako’s response.”

Viktor snorted, “Fair.” He paused, “Do you want to try it now?”

Yuuri grinned and skated off, happily picking up speed as Viktor lazily skated around the rink, giving him the space he needed. Yuuri let the ice carry him and jumped, spun and landed hard.

Viktor looked concerned but Yuuri just shook it off, getting up and trying again. And he fell again.

He stood again, building speed, but something was different this time. This time as he skated he could see a streak of color moving with him, dashing beside him, swirling around his limbs, wrapping itself around him in a supporting embrace before backing off again, trailing behind him just within his line of sight.

He smiled, feeling Viktor’s presence more strongly than ever and leapt…

And landed.

He fell to his knees, not because he fell but because he was shocked. He’d done it! A clean Quad Axel!

Viktor dove onto his leg, sliding right into Yuuri and practically tackled him onto the ice. “That was amazing!”

“Me? What about you? That magic was really cool!”

Viktor grinned, “I just wanted to skate with you, and then my colors chased you.”

Viktor stood and helped Yuuri up. “I want to try something,” he muttered, skating off. Yuuri skated slowly behind him, keeping the music flowing through him. He really liked this song, and watching Viktor skate only made it seem to press harder against his mind, ready to burst forward.

Viktor seemed to be thinking, idly moving with the music and he stared at his hands. Suddenly he spun and color burst from him, turning the whole air was a rich purple. He spun again and this time great splatters of color burst from his hands.

Yuuri’s music burst through, suddenly filling the arena. It wasn’t the idea of a song anymore, but a clear and pure song.

Viktor was still going: leaping, jumping, spinning and twirling, the color in the air changing with his movements, and more sprays of colors dotted the background as he smiled bigger than Yuuri had ever seen.

“Skate with me, zoloste!” He called, his smile infectious, and Yuuri couldn’t skate fast enough to join him, quickly falling into step as they spun and moved together, both laughing happily with each twirl. Soon there weren’t just splatters, but swirls of colors floating along with both of their hands like colorful sparklers that made Yuuri’s heart cheer with joy.

“I think there’s words in your song,” Viktor panted as they continued to skate.

Yuuri nodded, “I do too, and I think your paint can do more. There’s something missing from this still.”

Viktor pressed a finger to his lips as he thought, “Or someone.”

Yuuri looked at him curiously but Viktor just shook his head. “We can talk about that later, for now I just really want to kiss you.”

Yuuri blushed but didn’t protest, skating up to his boyfriend and wrapping his arms around him as they pressed their lips together.

He couldn’t hold back as the duet flowed softly from him, replacing his newest song.

Viktor chuckled, “You’re like a little jukebox now.” Yuuri blushed and Viktor kissed him again, making the music come out again more strongly. “I like it. It tells me how you feel.”

Colors swirled around them and Yuuri could feel the warmth and love within them as the colors kissed their skin.

“I can feel you, Vitya.”

The colors grew even warmer.

 “Yuuri,” Viktor whispered, leaning their foreheads together, “I love you. I always have, ever since I first saw you skate, but it was nothing compared to now. You are my soul, my heart. You bring out everything that’s good in me and make me accept my weaknesses, and give me strength to overcome them. You make me want to be better.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but tear up, “I love you too, Vitya. Please skate with me forever.”

“Always,” Viktor whispered.

Neither spoke as they skated off the ice and made their way to Viktor’s room. Something had changed; there was a closeness there that hadn’t been before. A part of Yuuri longed desperately to never be separated from Viktor, while another knew that no matter the distance, they’d never truly be apart again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't click out just yet! The [bonus Chapter: Aria](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11302329) picks up RIGHT where this chapter leaves off! I think you know where this is heading. ;) 
> 
> Yuuri's newest song is History Maker, and Viktor's magic is recreating the opening credits. But there's still something missing! Next chapter will be extremely exciting. I think after you read this and the bonus chapter you'll all be able to guess at least some of what's coming. :)
> 
> For the other song, which Yuuri calls his duet, check out the [bonus chapter](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11302329)! 
> 
> We are getting towards the end and I do need a little assistance from all of you. If there are any questions about the plot so far, things you want to know more about, or maybe side stories you want to see, let me know! Want to know what Phichit decides? More about Minako and Oda? Ask! Just as I have extensive notes about the character's backstories, I have a massive amount of notes on the story after the story. So anything you want to know, let me know! :)
> 
> I hope you all liked this chapter and the bonus! Things are only going to get more exciting as we head towards Worlds. You won't want to miss a moment of it. Thank you so much for reading, commenting, kudosing, sharing, reqing and everything else you all do. You all seriously make my day every time you interact with this fic. It's a joy to share this with all of you. See you next week!


	37. Six Weeks till Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure you've checked out the [bonus chapter](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11302329) that takes place after last chapter before reading this one! I mean, you don't have to, but you should. :)

**Six Weeks**

When Yuuri woke up the next morning, it was to find Viktor awake beside him, slowly tracing a finger along his cheek. He couldn’t help but blush at the way Viktor was looking at him; it was so open, all his love spilling out in a way Yuuri had never seen before.

They kissed slowly, waking even more so, simply enjoying the bliss that could be found in this quiet moment, both knowing it would be nearly two months before they could have another like it. Worlds were coming and there was a lot of work ahead for them both, but for this moment they were both content to simply be in the moment.

Yuuri knew that they would have many more moments like this far into the future; they may only be kids, but their world had changed last night, shifting so that Yuuri and Viktor were more together than the sum of their parts.

“Yuuri,” Viktor whispered softly as they broke apart, “I need to do something today, but I need your help. Will you come with me?”

Yuuri nodded, wondering what Viktor was planning. They had woken before their alarm, so they had quite a bit of time before breakfast and classes, even with their morning run.

They dressed and Viktor led them out of the Slytherin dormitories, a few early risers waving at them as they went. Yuuri couldn’t help but think back just 6 months to the first time Viktor brought him here, and all the trouble it had caused. Now, no one batted an eye when Yuuri entered, many had even told him he was an honorary Slytherin.

He was surprised however when Viktor led him up to his own common room, waving merrily to the fat lady who didn’t even bother asking for a password, Viktor had charmed her out of it long ago.

As they entered the room, Viktor’s head swirled around, searching. “Ah!” he cried out, moving over to a window where Judgment Cat was dozing on a cushion in a patch of sunlight. “Anastasia dear, would you go fetch Mila for me?” He pet the cat behind her ears gingerly as she stretched and headed up the stairs to the girls’ dormitories.”

“You can talk to her?”

Viktor shrugged, “I was lonely with you gone; Makka and I spent a lot of time in your room. She would always keep an eye on us; she’s quite protective of you.

“I asked her if she’d like it here or if she’d like an owner, told her about Yurio. He’s always wanted a cat of his own. I didn’t think anything of it, but then she started coming up to me every day, trying to get at my phone to see pictures of Yurio. She doesn’t seem to be an ordinary cat.”

“And Yurio would be ok with you just adopting a cat for him?”

Viktor snickered, “Well I showed him a picture last weekend and he told me I should bring her home immediately.”

Yuuri laughed.

“Jo says it’s fine. She’s been worrying that Anastasia needs a more stable home, and a better name.”

“I’m sure Yurio will change it to something amazing like Puma.”

“Or Tiger,” Viktor teased back.

“Or Scorpion,” Mila yawned as she came down the stairs with Sara trailing after her. Apparently the girls had had a sleepover of their own.

“What is it Viktor?” she mumbled sleepily. “Class isn’t for a few hours you know.”

“I need you to cut my hair, Mila.”

All three stared at him. “Are you serious?” Mila questioned.

“But your hair is so beautiful!” Sara cried.

“But you can’t…” Yuuri whispered.

Viktor took Yuuri’s hands and smiled at him, speaking loud enough for the girls to hear, “I can. I want to do this. For so long my hair has been a crutch, my way of both rebelling, and holding the world at arm’s length. It was a security blanket, because I was afraid I wouldn’t be me without it.

“But I’m ready to let it go. I don’t need it anymore.”

There was nothing to say. Mila and Sara brought over a chair from one of the tables and had Viktor sit on it. They asked how he wanted it and he told them to use their best judgment. After conferring a few minutes the girls came to an agreement. Yuuri ran his fingers through the long strands while they debated. He would miss it, but it could always grow back. If Viktor really could cut it, he needed to, for himself.

“You’re sure?” Mila asked once more.

Viktor nodded and took Yuuri’s hands, staring right into his eyes.

Mila and Sara began sectioning off his hair, planning out how they would make the cuts, and then pulled out a section right in the front and with a slow move of her wand Mila severed the strand right in front of his eyes creating a bang that came down to just past his eye.

Everyone stared at it, and at the clump of hair that now lay in Sara’s hand.

Nothing happened.

Viktor grinned even wider and Yuuri felt tears come to his eyes as Viktor pulled him in for a kiss. Seeing their happiness, Mila and Sara got back to work, slowly trimming and cutting off long strands of hair until finally Viktor’s hair lay short upon his head with just that one long bang that they had first cut.

“Wow, Yuuri whispered, “You look older. Sexy.”

“Really?” Viktor blushed, “I want to see!”

Sara silently summoned a mirror from somewhere and held it up in front of Viktor. He noiselessly looked at his hair in the mirror, turning this way and that, a smile slowly growing on his face, wider and wider as he brushed his fingers through his now short hair. Soon his smiled had gone fully heart shaped and he was laughing with joy, hugging the three of them close.

“Come to Russia Friday night, Yuuri. I know you have to sleep, but I want to celebrate. Please say you’ll come, just for a few hours?”

Yuuri laughed, “Sure, but why Russia?”

“I want to show Yurio our magic.”

Mila and Sara both stared, “What do you mean,” Sara questioned.

Viktor grinned, “When Yuuri and I skate we can do this magic. It’s just ours. Yuuri makes music and I can make colors.” He looked at them, sighing and smiling kindly at the girls. “I never told you both this, but the reason I kept my hair so long was because I couldn’t cut it. Last year, I was assaulted at Europeans. When I disappeared before the banquet it was to go hide in my apartment. I spent the next few days obsessively cutting my hair only to have it grow back.

“Yurio found me laying in a pile of my own hair. He’s kept my secret ever since then. When we told him the truth at the GPF I promised to tell him things. I owe him that much. Being able to use my magic when I skate, cutting my hair…I have to show him. I have to show him how happy I am.”

Soft tears filled Viktor’s eyes as he looked at all them, “I have to thank him for protecting me.”

Mila smiled, her own tears glistening in her eyes. “I think he’ll like that. He’s considered you a brother ever since you saved him after all.”

“Plus, he misses Yuuri.” Viktor grinned.

“He does?” Yuuri stared at his boyfriend as Viktor and Mila both nodded vigorously.

Sara sighed, “I need to find an excuse to leave school with you guys on weekends. I’m going to miss all the fun!”

“What about dance lessons?” Mila asked.

“Yeah,” Viktor grinned, “Yuuri’s ballet teacher is a witch, you could work with her. Or you could work with Yurio’s. She’s crazy scary, but she’s amazing.”

“Who’s that?” Sara asked.

“Lilia Baranovaskaya.”

“Really??” both Sara and Yuuri shouted.

“Huh, you know who that is Yuuri?”

“Of course I do! She’s famous; Minako told me all about her!”

“Wait,” Sara broke in, “By Minako you don’t mean Minako Okukawa?”

“Yep,” Viktor smiled, “Yuuri studies with her in Japan. And I’ve trained under both of them from time to time.”

Sara’s mouth gaped before she punched Mila on the shoulder, “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Ow,” Mila laughed, “Well I didn’t know Lilia was such a big deal, and to be fair I didn’t know about Yuuri’s coach.”

Sara glared but rounded on Yuuri, “You have no excuse.”

Yuuri held up his hands in surrender, “Sorry! I didn’t know you’d want to know!”

Sara stared at him before pulling out her phone and tapping on the screen before dropping it into Viktor’s hands. He stared at it curiously before his eyes went wide. “Sara! How did you…?”

“Can you get me in touch with Lilia and Minako?”

Viktor stared but nodded, “I can call Minako and she can get you permission to go to Yuuri’s house. She can evaluate you and take you to Lilia if you want.”

Sara nodded, “Good. Send yourself all of those and give me back my phone at breakfast.” With that, she turned on her heel and skipped out of the common room.

“What’s on the phone?” Mila asked, but Viktor was way to engrossed on frantically texting himself over and over that he barely noticed.

Yuuri circled around him and gasped, seeing an entire folder _full_ of photos of him pole dancing. “Nooooo! Delete those!”

“Absolutely not,” Viktor jumped out of Yuuri’s reach, dashing for the door with Yuuri hot on his heels.

“Viktor please!”

“Not unless you show me in person!” And with that, he was gone.

Yuuri sank onto the ground as Mila came up behind him, gently patting his shoulder. “There there, I’m sure those pictures are only half as embarrassing as all those hickeys on your neck.

Slapping a hand to his neck Yuuri jumped and ran up to his dorm room, hoping he still had some of his competition concealer in his bags, Mila’s laughter echoing behind him.

 

After his morning run with Viktor and Otabek, Yuuri entered the Great Hall to find a small cheering section waiting for him which included Makka. He distantly remembered that Makka hadn’t been with them all night and wondered where he’d been, feeling just a little guilty.

“He slept on your bed.” Jo plopped down beside him.

“Do you know Legilemency or something?” Yuuri grumbled as he took a bite of toast.

“No, you’re just easy to read. Well, I mean I do know it, I just wasn’t using it. Anyways, Makka was spending the afternoon with Imara and Clara, and when neither you nor Viktor showed up to dinner we all connected the dots and Riko and I convinced your roommates to watch him. We would have kept him in our room but we already had Sara spending the night. Any more warm bodies and we would have had to blast a hole in the wall. The boys like Makka so they didn’t mind.”

She paused and pulled out her phone, “They sent me this.” It was a picture of Makka and Anastasia curled up together on Yuuri’s bed. He was pretty sure he could see some drool on his pillow but it was so cute he really didn’t care.

“You’d better send that to Viktor; he’ll think it’s the cutest thing in the world.”

Jo nodded and tapped her phone. They both went back to eating but not 5 seconds later were interrupted by a loud squeak as Viktor came hustling over holding his phone. “Jo this is amazing! Yuuri have you seen this?!”

Yuuri laughed and pulled his boyfriend close; kissing his temple as Viktor happily posted the photo to Instagram. Yurio liked it almost instantly.

“I guess we don’t have to worry about Anastasia and Makka getting along,” Yuuri teased.

Jo nodded, “If anyone else wanted to take her home I’d probably say no, but there’s something about that Yurio kid. Just seems like a good match to me.”

Viktor agreed, “Yurio loves cats; he’s pretty much a kitten himself, but I think he’ll connect with her. They both know what it’s like to be left behind. He’ll take good care of her, I can promise you that.”

Jo smiled and patted Viktor on the head, “By the way, you should borrow some make-up from Mila, Viktor.” She stood and walked away, presumably heading to class.

Viktor blushed and Yuuri couldn’t help but snort into his eggs.

Viktor pouted, “I’ll get you back for this, Katsuki.”

“For what? I already covered up my own.”

Viktor smiled innocently, wincing a bit as he moved, “I wasn’t talking about the bites…”

Yuuri narrowed his eyes, “I just ran 5 kilometers with you and watched you sprint across the hall over a picture of your dog. I’m not buying it.”

“Aw, Yuuri! It really does hurt, I swear!”

Yuuri set his face into one of hurt, “Was I really that terrible?”

Viktor’s face suddenly paled, “No! I’m sorry, I was just teasing! It hurts a little but nothing bad! I promise.”

Yuuri grinned wickedly and caught Viktor by the tie, pulling their foreheads together, “I usually sleep over on Tuesday nights, maybe you could help me understand better then.”

Viktor gulped but nodded eagerly, “I-it’s a date,” he stammered. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I apparently need to go find my competition make-up.”

“It’s in the 2nd drawer of your dresser,” Yuuri deadpanned.

“It’s sexy that you know that.”

Yuuri grinned, shooing Viktor back to his room with Makka right on his heels as he jogged off.

 

**Five Weeks**

Yuuri knew he _should_ be sleeping. He had practice in too few hours, but when Viktor had told him he’d begged Yakov to let him and Yurio have the rink to themselves for a few hours, well, he couldn’t really say no. He texted Minako that he was going to do a bit of practice tonight and asked if they could delay their run an hour.

She denied his request, but at least he tried.

Despite the fact that they could Apparate to Viktor’s apartment, Makka seemed a lot more comfortable with Floo, so exactly 5 weeks before he’d be skating his Short Program at Worlds he stepped out of Viktor’s fireplace, returning to the apartment he hadn’t visited in far too long.

“Can you spend the night?” Viktor whispered as he wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s waist.

Yuuri leaned into his boyfriend, “I have to be up at midnight your time. I don’t mind sleeping here, but I can only skate for an hour or two and then I have to sleep.”

“That’s fine, you can sleep. I’d just like to fall asleep next to you.” Yuuri was pretty sure he could feel Viktor blushing.

“I’ll text my mom and let her know,” he whispered. “Now come on, we don’t have much time. Let’s make the most of it.” Viktor nodded and, hand-in-hand, they walked down to the rink.

Yurio was waiting for them in the deserted rink. “You better not have been making me wait while you made-out.” He scowled at their clasped hands but continued in a slightly less annoyed tone. “I already checked, no one’s here.”

Viktor nodded and pulled out his wand, quickly casting anti-Muggle charms, just in case.

“So what did you want to show me?” Yurio grumbled, though he looked curious.

Yuuri grinned, “Let’s skate, then we’ll show you.”

They strapped on their skates and were soon flowing around the ice. With a nod from Viktor, Yuuri loosened his shoulders and let his music out as he skated; moving into what he supposed was some sort of program.

Yurio looked around, “What’s with that music?” He turned to Viktor, “What are you doing? That feels weird.”

Viktor smiled and pointed at Yuuri, “I’m not doing it; he is.” He paused and focused on his finger tips until they glowed aqua, twirling them in the air and leaving behind little trails of color. Yurio’s eyes grew wide. “This is what I do. Yuuri makes music, and I paint. It comes out when we skate sometimes, but we are getting pretty good at controlling it.”

Yurio watched Yuuri continue to skate for a minute, he was scowling but Viktor could tell he was clearly curious. “So yours just makes your fingers glow?”

Viktor shook his head, “No, I can do a lot more. I wanted to show you because I knew you’d like it, and…well I can do it to other people too.” He reached out a hand to Yuuri and a streak of red darted over to Yuuri’s out stretched hand. Yuuri saw it and smiled back at them as he continued skating, trailing the red chord out from his hand. Viktor pulled it back and then focused and soon Yuuri’s hands were filled with a soft blue glow that swirled around him.

“Wow,” Yurio breathed, looking thoroughly impressed now.

“We have a song that Yuuri makes, it’s good with just the two of us skating, but we both think it was made for all three of us together.”

“Me?” Yurio stared at him. “I’m not a wizard.”

“No,” Yuuri agreed, skating up to them, the music slowly changing around them, “You aren’t. But both of us want to see more wizards have Muggle friends. You’re important to Viktor, and to me. You could have ditched us, or decided we were too weird, but you stuck by us.  Trust me when I say not everyone is as open minded as you.”

Yurio grew unusually quiet as he looked at his feet. “I met my dad once.” Viktor’s head snapped up in surprise. “Of all the dicks my mom’s dated over the years he’s one of the worst. I used to think that maybe if I ever met him he’d want to take me in and we’d be family, but I realized that was never going to happen as soon as I met him.

“Don’t pity me; it was good that I met him, because I realized once who he was that I didn’t need him. I have Grandpa and Yakov, you guys, the rest of our rink mates. I made a family to replace the one I lost without even realizing it.

“When I saw Viktor after Europeans last year, I guess I kind of realized that maybe I wasn’t the only one with problems.”

Yuuri couldn’t help himself as he hugged Yurio.

“Gah get off me pig!” Yurio spluttered, but there was no real venom in the words, or real effort behind his squirming as Viktor piled on.

Yuuri and Viktor laughed as they both squeezed Yurio tighter.

“Shall we skate?” Viktor asked.

Yuuri couldn’t help himself and started to sing, “Shall we skate, your dreams become true…” under his breath, cursing Phichit in his head as Viktor snorted.

They started skating and soon their magic was flowing, Yurio fitting into their movements like he’d been there all along. Viktor was positively beaming as he pushed his magic farther and farther, tracing it along all three of their bodies. Yurio was a bit wide eyed as the magic traced over his limbs, but was soon enjoying himself as he sped along.

And then something clicked and both Yuuri and Viktor’s magic changed. They had been just going into a spin, the three of them together, a move they all could do in their sleep. Yet this time was different because suddenly Yuuri’s music grew with a vocal line surging forth, while Viktor’s magic began sketching a scene all around them.

They all kept skating but all stared wide eyes as an entire stadium appears before them, it’s cavernous space filled with music as the three of them skated along.

“Do you think this will be us?” Yuuri asked, staring around at the seats and giant screens that were being drawn around them. It wasn’t real enough to fool anyone into believing it was reality, but it was clear they were looking at a skating rink big enough to house Worlds.

Viktor shrugged but Yurio grinned, “Yup! That’s why it didn’t work for you losers before. I’m going to win gold and you two will have to stand below me on the podium.”

Yuuri and Viktor laughed. “Nice try, kitten, but I’ll be taking that gold again this year,” Viktor retorted.

Yurio began chasing after Viktor then, and for the remainder of practice Viktor focused on drawing more and more complicated images, eventually finding he could create animated clones of all of them, making the ice look crowded with skaters. Yuuri for his part just kept his music playing until it was time for him to go to bed.

“We’ll walk you back,” Viktor volunteered immediately.

Yuuri shook his head, “I wouldn’t want you to be late; won’t Yakov be here soon?”

Yurio shoved him towards the door, “Yes, so hurry it up so we can get back before he does.”

Yuuri sighed but relented, “I don’t need an escort to walk 4 blocks you know.”

“Idiot,” Yurio grumbled, “I know that, but Viktor’s clingy and going to go with you and I don’t want to be the only one here when Yakov gets here.”

Viktor didn’t argue, choosing instead to grasp onto Yuuri’s arm.

“Fine, I get it,” Yuuri sighed.

They got back to the apartment and Yuuri started to move towards the bedroom, already feeling a bit tired (he had somehow adjusted to this new, wacky schedule usually quick) when Viktor stopped him.

“Before I forget, there’s something I need to do before you go to sleep, zoloste.” Yuuri looked at him curiously while Yurio just huffed in exasperation. Viktor offered no explanations however as he pulled out his phone and texted someone. Yuuri eyed the bed, needing desperately to get to sleep now; while Yurio eyed his watch, knowing Yakov would be back at the rink any minute now.

Suddenly the fire lit and with a poof of green flame Mila popped out, “Surprise!” she called, holding out Anastasia towards Yurio.

Yurio’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Potya!” He cried, and to all of their surprise Anastasia jumped into his arms, happily rubbing her face against his.

Yuuri tilted his head, “What does that mean?”

“It’s Puma, Tiger, Scorpion all shortened and mashed together. Potya.”

Mila groaned, dropping her face into her hand as she moaned, “We were right!”

Viktor just rolled his eyes and flicked his wand, moving a few assorted cat supplies out of the closet where they had apparently been hiding. It took more than a minute to convince Yurio she'd still be here when he got back. It still took quite a while for them to get out the door.

Yuuri waved goodbye and after a few more well wishes the Russians left and Yuuri crawled into Viktor’s bed, feeling Potya and Makka crawl up with him just before he drifted off to sleep

 

Yuuri woke to his alarm much sooner than he would have liked, but moved to silence it quickly. Viktor barely stirring from the alert, curling deeper into the covers, his hair splayed across his pillow. Yuuri still wasn’t used to the short locks, but couldn’t help but take a moment to stare at his boyfriend.

The shorter hair had given him an air of maturity, calling additional focus to his sharp jaw line and straight nose. He was beautiful, but never more so than when they were alone like this. There was a sense of peace that set on Viktor’s face when he was asleep, especially when he slept beside Yuuri.

Yuuri leaned down and kissed Viktor’s brow before getting up and stretching. He had slept in his training gear, so all he needed to do now was grab his small bag from the living room and then be off. He planned to Floo, but he could Apparate if Yurio was asleep.

He didn’t need to worry about though; Yurio was sitting on the couch playing a new game while Potya slept on his lap. It was clear that they were already the best of friends.

“You heading to practice?”Yurio asked, glancing up at him as Yuuri grabbed his bag.

“Yeah,” he yawned a bit.

“You going to be alright? This sleep schedule must be terrible.”

Yuuri nodded, “It’s not easy. It would be better if I just forced myself into it every day, but our Astronomy class keeps me from doing that.”

Yurio frowned, “Do you really need to go to school? Mila told me it’s only required till the 5th year, and Viktor almost didn’t go this year.”

“I can understand Viktor’s reasons, but my old school wouldn’t have let me carry on. I guess I wanted to keep going out of stubbornness than anything.”

Yurio smirked, “I can understand that.”

Yuuri smiled, “Take care of Potya. She’s been a good friend to me all year.”

Yurio nodded before muttering softly, “Take care of Viktor.”

Yuuri smiled and stepped into the fireplace, sharing a look with Yurio that said all he needed to before saying “Hatsetu’s Yutopia Onsen,” and being whooshed away to practice.

 

**Four Weeks**

Four weeks before Worlds Yuuri was hard at work with Minako in her studio, working on the pole since Minako was still insisting his core was looking weak. He thought it might just be punishment for refusing to share any of the details of his love life with her.

“Tighter!” she barked at him as he spun on the pole, pushing his muscles harder still. Every drop of sweat that fell from his brow was one step closer to perfecting his programs and his Quad Axel.

His phone began to ring with Viktor’s ring tone and Minako and Yuuri both looked at it.

Minako sighed, “Keep going, I’ll answer.” She stepped over to Yuuri’s things and answered the phone, switching it to speaker phone. “Hi Viktor, Yuuri’s with me but his hands are busy.”

“She’s torturing me, Viktor!” Yuuri teased.

To his surprise though it wasn’t Viktor on the other end.

“Katsudon, Viktor needs you. Both of you actually. He wants you to come here, right now. We’re at the rink and we’re alone. Viktor put some sort of spell on the door so no one but Wizards can come in.”

Yuuri dropped from the pole looking at Minako, both with concerns on their face. “Is he ok, Yurio?”

“I don’t know. He’s been working on something and all of a sudden he told Yakov he needed to be left alone, that he was going to make it better. He said something about needing to say something.”

Minako nodded, “We‘ll be right there.”

She hung up and Yuuri grabbed a towel to wipe off the some of the sweat as he grabbed his gym bag with his sweats and shoes inside. “Do you think I should get my skates?”

She shook her head, “Doesn't sound like it, but if you do I’ll come get them. Let’s go.”

Yuuri nodded and they both grabbed their wands, spinning on the spot and popping up rink side in St. Petersburg.

“Vitya!” Yuuri called, spotting Viktor on the ice, breathing hard.

Viktor looked up and suddenly smiled happily, his bright yellow aura bursting out. “Yuuri!” he called happily.

Minako and Yuuri stared, “We thought you were in trouble.”

Viktor sighed and glared at Yurio, “Well, I need help, but it’s not that. Sorry if he worried you.”

“Then what…?”

But Yuuri was cut off when several pops interrupted him as Otabek, Riko, Jo and Ari all popped in, followed closely by Sara, Mila, Imara, Clara and Charlie.

“What is going on?!” Minako stared around as the teenagers wizards popped in one after another. “Shouldn’t you all be in school?”

“Viktor asked for us,” Otabek replied. “It’s the weekend so we just asked the Head Mistress if we could leave for a few hours.”

“They let you come without a teacher?” Minako questioned.

“No,” Jo answered, but her explanation became mostly unnecessary as Professor Weasely popped in.

The professor looked around with interest before spotting Minako. “Ah, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Professor Weasely.”

“Minako Okukawa.”

Percy nodded, “Now what’s this about Mr. Nikiforov? The Head Mistress is very confused what was so important that you needed to bring so many of us here?”

Viktor took a deep breath before looking up with a look of determination that burned in his eyes. “I have an idea, and idea to change everything. I’m going to win Worlds, and when I perform my Exhibition I want to use it to say something important, but I’ll need everyone’s help to do it.”

Mouths dropped open around the room, but Yuuri could only hear the fervent passion in Viktor’s voice, and he knew it didn’t matter what he needed, Yuuri would do it. “What do you need, Vitya? How can we help?”

Viktor smiled, “Well first we’ll need to break about a hundred wizarding laws…”

 

**Three Weeks**

The closer Worlds came, the more Yuuri practiced. Minako and Professor Weasley had apparently talked most their teachers into excusing them from most of their assignments, or at least simplifying them.

Thanks to that exception, Yuuri now found himself merely writing up an outline for his Potions paper, rather than a full 22 inch essay on Wolfsbane during his free period on Tuesday. He thought about going to the library, but had taken up residence in the Great Hall instead. At Celestino’s urging, Otabek had him doing squats all morning and moving seemed like the worst idea he'd ever heard. He had no idea how he'd make it through his evening practice with Viktor.

Lunch wouldn't be for a while yet, but the house elves usually put out a few light snacks early for those like Yuuri who arrived early to study. He casually munched on some nuts, groaning internally every time he shifted, his muscles protesting his life choices.

“Yuuri!”

Yuuri looked up because there was no way he'd just heard that voice calling to him across the hall because Phichit didn't go to school here.

But apparently there was a way because Phichit and Minako were walking towards him happily.

“Phichit! What are you doing here?” Yuuri stood to hug his friend, nearly falling over in the process.

Minako snickered, “I see Otabek kept his promise?”

Yuuri grumbled, letting himself lean against Phichit who laughed at him. “We got my scores yesterday so we came to talk to Professor Sprout and so I can have a tour.”

“How'd you do?” Yuuri asked curiously as Minako wandered off to talk to a few of the portraits.

Phichit shrugged, “Lots of Acceptables, Es in Charms and Transfiguration and an O in Muggle Studies. Alchemy, Potions and History went about as well as could be expected.” Phichit shrugged, but Yuuri knew he couldn't like not earning a pass grade. Phichit had always struggled in those classes. They all knew he wouldn't carry on with them, but he had hoped for a passing OWL.

“An O in Muggle Studies though,” Yuuri grinned, “that's seriously impressive!”

Phichit nodded happily. “Your mom helped me study a lot for that one.”

“How about Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

“My written exam was fine, but my practical wasn't good at all. Professor Sprout says if I want to carry on I'll have to take tutoring all summer. I don't mind the class, but I probably won't continue it.”

“What do you think you’ll carry on with then?”

“Muggle Studies, Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy, and Herbology. It's a pretty light schedule, but Professor Sprout said it would be alright. Mahoutokoro wanted me to carry on with Defense Against the Dark Arts and Ancient Runes. I might do Runes, but I'm not sure.”

“So have you made your decision yet?”

Phichit bit his lip, the corners slowly turning up. “Hogwarts! We just finished getting me all set-up. It’s a big change but they’re more willing to work with me and my schedule. They’re even going to try and arrange my classes so I can have afternoons off as much as possible. Plus, Muggle Studies is really important to me, and your Professor seems great.”

“You met with her?”

Phichit nodded, “She told me about the time in class she borrowed your phone and Yurio texted you and totally outted you.” Yuuri groaned making Phichit laugh. “I wonder what House I’ll be in.”

“Whichever you end up in they’ll be lucky to have you.”

They spent the rest of Yuuri’s free period chatting and were greeted by several surprised calls when the others joined them for lunch. Sara had had a chance to speak with Minako over the phone a few times but hadn’t met her in person yet, and was positively giddy. Within minutes she was pulling Yuuri’s coach towards the doors, begging to show Minako her skills.

They passed Viktor on the way out, making him jump in surprise at seeing his old coach come out of nowhere. “I had no idea you two would be here!” he exclaimed as he sat next to Yuuri, lacing their fingers together as he talked to Phichit.

“My OWLS came today so Minako took me to Mahoutokoro this morning to go over my options there and then here this afternoon…though it was still morning here. God, these times zones are confusing, how do you manage it, Yuuri?”

“Stubbornness and about 15 alarms,” he said with a grimace.

“Well, why don’t we show you the rink before lunch is over?” Viktor offered.

Phichit looked excited and the three of them quickly ate before jogging off to the rink. It turned out they weren’t alone though as Sara was working with Minako in the corner, while Mila and Seung-gil watched from the tables.

Yuuri sat down next to Mila, “This is Phichit, Mila. I don’t think you’ve met.”

“Hi!” she waved.

Phichit was busy looking around; Viktor pointed out a few of the features. “I designed a lot of this place myself, actually. Once I knew Yuuri would be here too I knew it had to be perfect. Professional skaters need a good facility.”

“Really?” Phichit and Yuuri both queried.

“I never know you designed it,” Yuuri said honestly.

Viktor winked, “One of my many surprises. I’d talked to them before about having a rink, but once I won Worlds I figured why not ask for more? If it was a money thing I could pay for it, but they seemed happy enough to do it, telling me that they could see it being a good social activity for the students. My starting the club was part of the bargain, though I’d wanted to do it anyways.”

“Wow.” Every time Yuuri thought he had a handle on Viktor he kept being surprised. “Well it worked I guess, it’s one of the most popular clubs in the school now.”

Viktor nodded, “Second only to the Muggle Cultural Club.”

“Really?” Phichit asked, suddenly very interested.

Viktor nodded, but it was Seung-gil who answered, “It’s run very well. They focus on different topics of Muggle culture and have a lot of informal gatherings that keep things interesting. They’ve been organizing viewing parties all over the castle for the skating competitions too.”

Phichit smiled and was off, asking a million questions as he sat down next to Seung-gil and Yuuri couldn’t help but notice the way the two looked at each other. He had thought at the beginning of the year that Seung-gil might have a crush on Sara, but he seemed not to have any concerns now as he chatted with Phichit, or more listened as Phichit spoke in rapid sentences.

Too soon lunch was over and Yuuri could barely stand to let go of his friend. “I can’t wait till next year! Having you here will make this place even better.”

Phichit nodded, “I really can’t wait, Yuuri. I was nervous about it, but I know this was the right choice. I’ll see you this weekend, ok?”

Yuuri nodded and slowly let Viktor lead him to class. “I never really noticed how much you missed him,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri shrugged, “Neither did I, but seeing him here, it just made me think of all the things we’ve missed together. We’d barely been apart for four years before this one, and suddenly we’re half a world away. I missed just having him within arm’s reach. I love you, but there’s something different about a best friend.”

Viktor nodded, “I understand. There’s a reason I sometimes seek out Otabek over you. It’s not better or worse, it’s just different.”

Yuuri nodded, “I’m glad you understand.”

“Of course, zoloste; now come on, we have Charms and Professor Flitwick won’t be charmed if we’re late.”

“That was terrible, Vitya.”

“I know but you still love me.”

 

**Two Weeks**

As Worlds grew nearer, Yuuri, Mila and Viktor all spent more and more time away from class with their coaches. They had created a rotation as best they could so they weren’t all gone at once, but the closer Worlds came, the more the overlap became more apparent.

Soon, none of them were even bothering with subtlety. Yuuri was meeting with Celestino every morning starting at 9am in Japan, then Apparating back for classes at 5pm (8am at Hogwarts); collapsing in bed in the afternoon, before waking up just before midnight to Apparate back to Japan. He was sure Minako had made some excuse. Either that or she had used some sort of memory charm on Celestino.

Viktor and Mila had slightly more normal schedule, arriving in Russia just after classes and skating until 3 in the morning in Russia, which was midnight at Hogwarts. Yakov was apparently complaining that they were making him lose all his hair, though Viktor had been quick to point out he didn’t have much to lose, earning him a grueling punishment workout.

This meant that Yuuri and Viktor only saw each other during classes and at lunch, a time which was usually spent leaning against each other, reminding one another to eat, while their friends took turns poking them both awake whenever they fell asleep over their soup. None of the 3 skaters were at dinners or club meetings anymore, and all of their teachers had given them passes on homework until the competition was over.

If they ever had a break during the day, one of their friends would be assigned to tutor them in whatever subject they seemed to be struggling in. Fortunately for Yuuri and Viktor, they were managing to keep up just by attending classes, but poor Mila was dreadfully behind in Potions and had daily session with either Riko or Ari.

Jo had turned out to be a savior. Every day she took exhaustive notes, not only in class but while reviewing the assignments, and filled Yuri and Viktor in on the details during breakfast, lunch, or any other free time the two managed to find. As a result, they’d never fallen behind, able to answer any question in class, even when they hadn’t cracked a book in weeks.

She and one of the Slytherin Prefects had both taken to carrying a spare tie from their house around in their bag, as Yuuri and Viktor had both collapsed into the other’s beds by mistake, and sleep dressed in the other’s uniform on more than one occasion. Robes could be left off in the warmer months, but ties were required, and despite the fact that everyone knew Yuuri and Viktor were together, it was best not to parade around the fact that they slept in each other’s beds, even if the other boy didn’t happen to be there at the time.

Sara had even taken to staying up waiting for Mila so she could direct her back to her bed, and make sure she actually took off her sweaty sports bra before passing out between the sheets.

Finally, a few days before they were set to leave, both coaches cut practice times in half, and the three were able to get some rest.

“What day is it?” Viktor mumbled, with slices of cucumber from lunch rested on top of his puffy eyes.

“Don’t ask me, I’ve been dealing with the International Date Line. I tried to go to Potions on Sunday last week.” Yuuri grumbled, head buried in his arms.

“Where are we going for Worlds?” Mila whined. “Please tell me it’s in this time zone, don’t make me convert again.”

“Sorry,” Yuuri mumbled, “It’s in Calgary this year.”

“Fuuuuck,” the Russians cried, earning a swat from Jo for their language.

“I hate you Canada,” Viktor whined. “You are cold and your time zone is not this one!”

“Think positively, Viktor,” Jo chided him. “They have maple cookies and gay marriage is legal.”

Yuuri’s head shot up as he blushed furiously, “Jo!” he cried.

“What? It’s true. Bring back some chocolate stuffed Maple cookies, they were amazing.”

“I think he was referring to the marriage part, Jo,” Mila muttered.

Jo rolled her eyes, “I’m not saying now, just for future reference. You never know where you’ll end up after all, might as well start scoping out the options.”

Even Viktor was blushing now, burying his face into the crook of Yuuri’s neck. “Don’t worry Viktor,” Yuuri whispered, “we don’t have to even think about marriage till after we graduate.”

“That’s the problem,” Viktor whined pathetically, “now I am thinking about it and it sounds great and I feel like a teenager.”

“You are a teenager, “Jo reminded him.

“But I’ve never acted like one!”

They all rolled their eyes.

 

**One week**

A few days later, packed and ready, the three made their way down to the front hall where they were to meet Hagrid who would then escort them off the grounds so they could Apparate. Normally they would use the Head Mistress’ Office, but with 3 teenagers plus luggage including skates, garment bags, training gear, suitcases full of a week’s worth of clothes, and duffle bags with even more gear, they weren’t entirely sure they’d all fit.

In fact there was so much stuff that they couldn’t carry it all themselves. Yuuri and Mila were helped down from Gryffindor Tower by Riko and Sara. They collapsed onto the floor when they got to the front hall, panting under the weight of all the gear.

“How do you two need this much stuff?” Riko sputtered. “You’re practically naked on the ice!”

“Three costumes, plus spares just in case, two pairs of skates, a week’s worth of casual clothes, training gear, and dress clothes for the Gala, not to mention team gear for interviews, hair supplies, make-up, shoes…need I go on?” Yuuri replied.

Riko’s reply was cutoff but Viktor’s cheerful, “Hi!” from the stairs.

Yuuri looked up, smiling at his boyfriend, only to frown seeing how little luggage he had. “Viktor, where is your…” he paused as Otabek came into view, positively loaded with bags, even more than Yuuri had.

“Viktor,” Sara scolded, “You shouldn’t make Otabek carry all that for you!”

“I don’t mind, it’s not that heavy.” Otabek joined them, setting down several bags with a thump. “Viktor’s doing me a favor, so it’s fair.”

“What favor?” Riko asked.

Viktor grinned and opened his backpack, pulling out a large plush cat, “I’m bringing Yurochka a gift!”

Yuuri just stared while the girls all broke into laughter. “But Otabek!” Mila snorted, “Aren’t you coming in a few days? You can give it to him then!”

“I have another one for when I get there. I wanted him to have this one now so he remembers to focus on doing his best before the competition.”

No one could laugh at that.

“I still can’t believe you’re so smitten for our kitten,” Viktor teased, seeming very pleased with his rhyme.

“Why are you so crazy for Yuuri, Viktor?”

“Well that’s easy, Yuuri’s perfect and cute and adorable and sexy and smart and…”

“And Yura is perfect to me, and funny and clever and…”

“Ok ok, we get it.” Sara broke them off. “You’re both totally love struck idiots. No need to whip them out now.”

Mila and Riko patted Yuuri on the shoulders, “Sorry you have to deal with them Yuuri,” They both said, with a tone of mock condolence. Yuuri played along and nodded sadly, leaning into the girls for a kind hug.

Soon they were all laughing.

The large doors opened and Hagrid stepped in, “You lot ready?” He said smiling.

They all nodded, and with a bit of help from Hagrid, they managed to gather all their gear and headed out towards the large gates that marked the edge of the Hogwarts grounds.

“Don’t know why they didn’t just cancel classes completely, seems half the school is heading to your competition.” Hagrid muttered as they walked.

“Really?” Yuuri asked.

“Yup.  They ended up adding an entire level onto the stadium, magically of course, just to fit everyone in, and even then there’s a lot of folks complaining that they can’t get tickets or accommodations. A lot of students will be sitting in with the Muggles though, since they’re usually better about blending in. Just make sure not to look too hard at the Magic folks and give it away to the Muggles.”

Otabek nodded, “Sounds like a nightmare keeping everything under control.”

“Yeah. I’ve heard the Canadian Ministry is going mad trying to lock everything down. But it’s worth it. 3 Hogwarts students in the Figure Skating World Cup. Who would have imagined.”

Viktor smiled at the others, and Yuuri felt his heart grow light.

They reached the gates. “Now there’ll be Ministry Wizards at the designated Apparition point waiting for you. They’ll have trollies and everything you’ll need to get out to your coaches just like you’re just coming off a plane, so make sure to look properly disgruntled.” The man laughed at his own joke.

“I don’t think I can Apparate with all this,” Mila admitted, looking at all her bags now scattered on the ground. Yuuri admitted he was in the same position.

Hagrid furrowed his brow, but Otabek cut in, “I can take quite a lot through. I can just pop in and come right back. I am used to carrying this much for Quidditch.” Considering Otabek was indeed Apparating each weekend to Quidditch practices, Yuuri supposed he probably did have a lot of practice at it.

“Good idea, Otabek. Let’s get you all situated, pack on what you can, and give the rest to Otabek. If need be one of the girls can come with as well.”

They managed it, just barely. With a wave and shouts of ‘Good luck!’ from Hagrid, Sara and Riko, the four spun heavily on the spot appearing moments later in a back hallway in Calgary International Airport.

“Ah, there you are, was beginning to wonder if I got the time wrong.” A kind looking wizard smiled at them. “Welcome to Canada.” He brought over several luggage carts and he and Otabek carefully arranged the bags, getting the three skaters settled.

“Good luck your three, see you in a few days; and Viktor, don’t forget.”

“I won’t let him,” Yuuri assured Otabek over Viktor’s own disgruntled reply.

Otabek smiled, and with a turn he was gone.

The wizard pointed them out to the hallway, depositing them just outside of Immigration so they could blend right into the crowd who were all meeting family or hailing cabs to take them wherever they were going.

On the ceiling was a large banner pulled tight across the hallway that read, “Welcome to the World Figure Skating Championships!” The skaters all paused for a second to stare at it, before smiling at each other.

“Ready?” Viktor asked the other two.

Yuuri and Mila both grinned; they had arrived.

 

\---------

 

Yakov had made sure they had a rink to practice in that week. It was located in the neighboring town, but it was easily within biking distance; their hotel had free bike rentals so they didn’t even need to rely on cabs (unless the weather was too poor).

Yuuri was securing his rented bike at the rink while he talked to Jo on the phone.

“I had some success with our project this morning,” she reported. “I was able to merge two photos together, one of me and one of Riko. Both of our photographic selves are moving between the frames and interacting. I’m fairly certain it’ll work for the posters. You should be sure to sign some of your posters with that pen whenever your emotions are particularly high.”

“Got it. Jo this is amazing, seriously. I wanted to do this myself but I just…”

“I get it. You guys are all busy. But don’t worry about it. You know how curious I get. I’ve been interested in your poster since I first saw it. Getting involved in replicating and improving it; that’s a treat for me.”

Yuuri smiled and entered the rink; “I’m glad you’re having fun, but seriously, you’re the best.” He looked up when he heard Viktor’s Free Skate music playing. To the casual observer it might be hard to tell the difference between the two songs, but Yuuri had been hearing them for months.

For him the two programs were as unique as Viktor’s many smiles.

But something was wrong this time. Viktor’s Free Skate was about growing and moving on from the agony of loss. On his best days Viktor would think of how he and Yuuri had come so far together, how they could make magic together and love one another so deeply.

This was different; this was Viktor struggling to remember what it was like to be loved.

“Jo, I need to let you go.”

“Everything alright?”

“I don’t know; I’ll message you later.”

Yuuri hung up and moved towards the barrier watching as Viktor spun and twirled on the ice, completely in his own world. There was love pouring out of the program as there should be, but something so much more intense moving right along with it as dark swirls followed Viktor as he moved, never noticing Yuuri was there.

Yuuri couldn’t help the shiver that ran down his spine as he watched.

Why? What had changed? Just a day ago Viktor had been happy. They’d spent the night together kissing and teasing one another. Viktor had kissed him awake in the morning when he left for the rink, his smile bright and ready for the day.

He searched around, hoping for some answer. Viktor’s things were sitting on the bench and at first nothing stood out, but then he noticed a small envelope made from thick, heavy paper. He looked up at Viktor for a moment before sliding over and edging his fingers against the paper.

Inside was a ticket to Worlds. There was nothing more except a broken wax seal secured with the imprint of the letter N.

“Viktor invites his father to every competition.” Minako suddenly appeared beside him; Yuuri hadn’t even known she was here. “I remember him doing it when I was still with him. He’s never stopped; I asked him about it over Christmas. Alexei always sends the tickets back just like this. No note, just the tickets in a sealed envelope.”

Yuuri stared at Minako, taking in what she was saying until suddenly a protective heat flared within him, consuming him.

“You know where he lives right? The house where Viktor’s father is?”

Minako raised an eyebrow as she stared at him. “Of course.”

“Take me to him. I need to see him. All this time I thought Viktor was skating for himself but I don’t think that’s right. I need to see Alexei, Minako; I need to convince him to be there for his son.”

Minako stared at him long and hard before her mouth slowly curved into a smile. “That’s the Yuuri I know. Come on, and be prepared. I doubt he’ll be happy to see us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Sorry about the delay with this one guys! If you didn't see my note on tumblr, I basically decided at the last minute to go to AX for the YOI panel. It was super fun but I was most tired after a full day of wandering the con. I'll try and get chapter 38 out next weekend (it's already started) but it just depends how things go. :) 
> 
> This chapter is a lot of fun and fluff as we get ready for Worlds! We'll learn a LOT about Viktor's past, and maybe a bit about Yuuri's too. ;) See you next time!


	38. Blue Klavdiya

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the tags above.

The gate loomed large in front of them as they appeared in the outskirts of St. Petersburg; Yuuri couldn’t help but silently question his decision. Alexei didn’t scare him, but coming here without telling Viktor...he wasn’t sure that had been the right choice. Minako looked down at him for a moment before tapping the gate with her wand. They both watched as it slowly swung open.

They walked up the narrow pathway up to a grand front porch which housed an imposing wooden door, complete with heavy iron knocker. It was intricately shaped, creating a design that Yuuri was sure held some significance, though was lost on him.

Minako grabbed the ornament and banged it loudly against the door, sending an echoing boom through the house. Nothing he’d seen so far seemed overly magical, which was unusual from what he knew about most magical families.

Of course then the door knocker came to life and spoke in rather bored sounding Russian.

“You know I can’t speak Russian,” Minako growled. “Tell Alexei I’m here to see him.”

The knocker, which really only had a mouth, but somehow managed to seem to display emotions quite well, sighed and faded into it’s ordinary self without another word. There was silence for a few minutes, but then, rather abruptly, the door was pulled open and Alexei stood in the entranceway, staring at them both and not looking particularly pleased to see them.

“What are you doing here,” he sneered at Minako.

Minako just rolled her eyes, “You don’t scare me. Besides, I’m only here because Yuuri didn’t know where you lived.”

Alexei’s eyes fixed on Yuuri.

Yuuri contemplated how to handle the situation. A part of him wanted to rave and rant at the man like Yurio had done, but another wondered if it might be best to start with a calmer approach. He took a deep breath before starting.

“Viktor needs you. He won’t admit it but he wants you to come see him skate. He remembers how the two of you were when he was younger, how you would watch him skate with his mother. He wants you to watch him again; he’s just too proud and afraid to say it. Please come, watch him skate.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, anger filling them, “Why would I watch that boy skate? He’s just playing at this childish, Muggle hobby, just like he plays with Muggle children like you. No proper wizard would be caught dead performing for Muggles.” He pointedly glared at Minako as he spoke.

 “Now now, you and I both know that’s not how you really feel.” Minako wagged her finger at him, sounding exasperated. “Klavdiya loved to attend the ballet; just as much as she loved watching Viktor skate. Why not trying to be honest with yourself about the reason you don’t want to watch him; why you can barely look at him.”

Yuuri had never heard the name of Viktor’s mother, but based on the way Alexei’s jaw grew stiff and his eyes shifted away from them towards a portrait on the wall, her name must have been Klavdiya. Yuuri couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful woman painted on the canvas. It wasn’t moving.

“I’ve always wondered why the main floor of your house was always so mundane,” Minako noted with an edge to her voice that made her intentions clear. “It made sense when Klavdiya was alive, what with all the garden parties she used to hold, and benefits for the St. Petersburg ballet, but she died so long ago, and stopped inviting people into the house long before she died; you would think that by now you would have redecorated. Or were you unwilling to change anything and upset Viktor?”

Alexei scowled. “Why would I care if he returned to this place? He was supposed to take care of his mother, but he was always too busy with his skating for her.”

“He was a child!” Minako shouted, “He had no idea what to do, what was wrong, what to think! His only companion would be in bed for days, never leaving the house. His father gone for days, weeks at a time, always telling him the things he could not do, should not do. Of course that’s what he thought!”

“He thought she was sick, and that you wouldn’t let her go to the doctor!” Yuuri shouted.

Alexei turned away, his back heaving. It was clear this was a powerful man, but in this moment something about him struck Yuuri as being so like his son; both fighting so hard to maintain their appearance of calm, while slowly being eaten alive by their own pain.

He glanced at the painting again. The woman was young, with long, shockingly pale, blonde hair. Her face was shaped so similarly to Viktor’s, the only real difference was their eyes. Her were an emerald green, sparkling with some unknown glee that couldn’t be contained by her frame and canvas.

“He has your eyes,” Yuuri whispered, and Alexei spun around to face him with those same ice blue eyes, glistening ever so slightly as the man struggled to compose himself. It was clear the loss of his wife still haunted him. Yuuri understood now that the face they had seen at the GPF had been carefully constructed for that moment, that this man, the one caught off guard, was his true self; a man so lost in grief he couldn’t see beyond it.

“Why are you still hanging around my son anyways?” Alexei asked, sounding very tired. “I admit I was surprised to see he’d taken up with a wizard, even one with such a Muggle upbringing. From what I’ve seen he prefers Muggles.”

Yuuri blinked, “What do you mean? Viktor never dated anyone before me.”

Alexei laughed, “Well maybe you’re right, but my son certainly had his way with more than a few men before you.” He shook his head, not in anger or disgust, but in some sort of defeated frustration.

“I don’t know where you got your information,” Yuuri said softly, “but Viktor has never really been with anyone else. He played around a bit, but after what happened last spring he stopped completely.”

“What happened to him?” Alexei suddenly looked very old. “Those things that tiny tiger said…what did he mean about Viktor’s hair? You can’t cut it, it just grows back. Merlin knows I tried to cut it before he started school.”

Minako looked curious but stayed silent as Yuuri sighed. “He had been drinking; he was lonely and hurting. He was angry because his school was making him chose between his Apparation exam and the World Championships. He decided to go along with what Killian wanted, but about halfway through he changed his mind, but by then it was too late to stop, or at least that’s what he thought.

“He hated himself for it. I think he’d struggled with the pain inside him for a long time, but as far as I know that was the first time it got that bad. He cut his hair; he’d cut it over and over to prove to himself that he still could, that it would grow back no matter how bad it hurt. It was like an obsession.

“Yurio’s the one who found him then, and I’m the one who found him when it happened again this fall. He’d been at another competition and that same skater was harassing him again and it brought all of those feelings back. I don’t think he could help it.”

Alexei’s face had gone pale.

“But he’s changed so much since then. He was able to cut it a few weeks ago; he cut it and it stopped growing back, well, at least in the unnatural way it used to. He had to have it trimmed before we left for our competition.” Yuuri grinned at the memory. “He was so happy; he told me he couldn’t remember the last time he’d needed to have his hair trimmed.”

“How?” Alexei whispered, sounding a bit desperate.

Yuuri smiled, “Because he learned how to cope with his pain, and how to open himself up again. Once he allowed himself to love others and love himself again, everything changed. He can use magic when he skates now too. He paints. It’s beautiful.” Yuuri bit his lip. “He saved himself. He had friends there to support him, but he did it himself.”

He looked up at Alexei, unwilling to let the man escape completely from the well deserved blame. “You should have been there to protect him. He shouldn’t have had to do it; I shouldn’t have had to do it, Minako shouldn’t have had to. He’s been so lost because he thought neither you nor his mother loved him enough to protect him. He came to you and when he needed you most you just turned him away.” Tears were flowing down his cheeks now.

“I’m in love with your son, Mr. Nikiforov, and I won’t go away. I won’t ever abandon him like you did.”

Alexei paused before hissing, “The only one who abandoned him was his mother. I was here. She abandoned both of us. Because of her selfishness.”

There was a crack and a vase near Alexei exploded. Yuuri whipped his head around and saw Minako, wand out, seething.

“How much pain do you imagine she was in to have taken her own life? We get it, you’re hurt because of what happened, but she was hurting too, and Viktor is hurting now! God, you’re the adult around here, why don’t you try acting like it?!

“Isn’t it obvious to you that she planned it all? That she had been planning it for months?”

A soft sob echoed from the door. “Is that true?” Viktor was gripping the door frame for support looking stricken.

“Did mom plan this? Did she plan to die?”

“Viktor, how did you…?” Yuuri whispered, stepping over to his boyfriend, terrified by the desperate look in his eyes.

“I left my phone in your jacket pocket, I had Yurio do a Find my Phone. When he said it was here I couldn’t believe it. Why are you here?”

“To tell your dad to come see you at Worlds.”

Viktor’s eyes widened, “But he wouldn’t…never mind, explain it to me Minkao, why do you think my Mother planned to die?”

Minako sighed and sank down onto an armchair, “Did you know that your mother used to dance?”

Viktor looked surprised but Alexei didn’t look phased at all.

“She used to take lessons from an older girl at her ballet studio. They were good friends, but no matter how different their lives, your mother always supported the St. Petersburg ballet where her friend was Prima, where I eventually became the Prima. Her friend works there now as the company director.” Minako raised an eyebrow and looked at Viktor whose mouth slowly fell open.

“Lilia?”

Minako nodded, “Klavdiya and Lilia have been friends since childhood. When Lilia stepped down and I was promoted in her place, she introduced us. You even attended a few of my final performances, though you were still in diapers.

“She realized I was a witch immediately of course, and we were friendly over the years. We lost contact when I returned to Japan, but a few weeks before she died she contacted me, asked what I was doing and wondered if I’d be back in Russia soon. She said she wanted lessons for you. I told her I had no plans to return, and she told me she understood and would contact Lilia instead. Three days later she approached Lilia at the ballet studio.”

“That’s impossible,” Alexei finally spoke, sounding agitated and confused. “She didn’t leave the house then; she hadn’t left in months!”

Minako shrugged, “Apparently she did. Lilia told me about the meeting a few days later after Lilia Baranovskaya, one of the best ballerinas in the world, slipped on ice and broke her leg. There had been a freak early freeze and the steps outside her home were completely frozen over. She was laid up in the hospital recovering and called me, asking me to come fill in for her while she recovered.

“I’m not saying magic was involved, but it seems a bit strange how that set of stairs could become covered in ice when nothing else in the area was.” She shrugged and continues. “She and Yakov were already divorced by then, but she called him when it happened and he agreed to help her with her recovery and I agreed to come handle her company.

“The next day Viktor showed up to practice looking worried, and an hour after practice he called Yakov because something was wrong with his mother. Yakov raced over and found Viktor trying to wake his mother up. He called an ambulance, but it was already too late. They couldn’t contact Alexei so Yakov brought him home.

“Lilia isn’t exactly the warmest of people, but apparently she held you while you slept that night, Viktor. It broke her heart seeing you cry like that. I don’t think Yakov got a wink of sleep.”

Minako cleared her throat, a small sign of the emotion she felt when recalling the past. “Alexei returned home from his trip two days later, raged at Yakov for ‘interfering’ and dragged Viktor back home. It didn’t last long though, Viktor was back two days later, tears streaming down his face, visibly hurt and hair completely cut-off. I arrived a few hours later.

“I knew what he was, of course, and I could tell right away that something was wrong with his magic. Viktor would have needed help to deal with the loss, and I think his mother knew that, but the whole situation just got so much worse with the way you reacted.” She practically whispered the last words, staring at Alexei who refused to meet her eyes.

“Why?” Viktor was trembling, looking at his father and Minako with tears streaming down his face. “Why did you never tell me any of this? Why didn’t you tell me about my mom, about Yuuri? Or tell Yuuri about me? You knew he was a fan! We could have met sooner, been friends for years, and been together. I thought he was just something my mind made-up. I was so lonely but I could have had a friend. You should have told me!”

Minako’s voice took on a somber tone as she spoke. “And told you what Viktor? You were lost. You couldn’t remember what you’d had for breakfast, or if you’d even eaten breakfast. You wore the same clothes day after day because you couldn’t remember what you’d worn, so you just wore the sweater your mother made you every day for weeks.

“I didn’t tell you because you couldn’t remember ever going to Japan. The next day was just like the day before. The only change was you were dreaming – you hadn’t dreamt in months. You told me you saw an angel, a little boy with dark hair who was dancing just for you. You wanted to dance, dance so much that your angel would come back to you.”

“But why didn’t I remember him?” Yuuri whispered.

Minako sighed, “Now that is a whole different story. I was hoping you’d remember it on your own but I suppose I can’t put you off any longer. This is all just things I’ve heard, I wasn’t there, remember.

“The afternoon after you met Viktor you had your wand choosing. I would have come but they only allow alumni, students, and parents to attend the ceremony; and only magical parents, no Muggles, so it was just your mother that day. I had planned to talk to you about your magic when you got home so Viktor and I spent the day at my studio, but when Hiroko brought you home I knew something horrible must have happened.

“You were knocked out. Medi-wizards had seen to you and assured your mother you were fine, but you had a pretty bad knock to the head and needed to rest for a few days afterwards.

“As you know your wand is extremely rare. It’s composition is almost never given to a new student. You have to be incredibly gifted at magic to be able to control one. But it chose you, and that should have been the end of it. Only a few people didn’t like that a boy with so much Muggle-blood had gotten such a powerful wand. They were convinced you’d cheated, as if that was even possible.

“They tried to take it from you but you held tight to it, refused to give it up. Told them you loved your wand. There was scuffle, someone tried to pull it from your hands and you got scared. I think your wand protected you then, proving that it had chosen you, because all of a sudden you just cast this massive shield charm.

“Unfortunately you couldn’t control it. It burst out so hard it knocked a lot of people to the ground, including you. You hit your head. When you woke up, you didn’t remember the day before at all. You knew your wand and sometimes you’d talk about an angel, but soon even that faded from your memory. We’d hoped you’d remember in time, but you never did.”

Yuuri breathed, “That’s why my dreams are hazy isn’t it? Because my memory is damaged and can’t hold onto it!”

“And that’s why my dreams are filled with fog because…because I was lost,” Viktor whispered.

Minako nodded, “Seems likely.” She paused, looking around. “Are you sure Klavdiya didn’t leave a note? I can’t believe she would leave both of your without an explanation. She talked to me about you both, how her husband was such a supporter of the arts and how her son was an amazing skater. She was so proud of you both.”

“I’m sure. I looked everywhere I could think of. Every place I knew,” Alexei replied.

Viktor suddenly gasped, “Her locket!” and without warning he dashed out of the room, sprinting down the hall towards a staircase. His father bellowed after him but Yuuri chased him, with Minako and finally Alexei following behind.

Yuuri followed him into a room just off the hall on the second floor of the house. It was a small sitting room that despite being clean, still had an air of disuse to it, as if no one had been in the room in years.

Viktor was crawling on the floor under one of the windows, pressing his hands against the floorboards, searching for something.

“Ah ha!” he cried out, and suddenly a small hole appeared in the wall. He dug his hand quickly inside, eyes alight with anticipation as he slowly pulled out a gold chain. “I knew it. Mama was the only one besides me who knew about this spot.” He slowly opened his palm showing the others a golden locket which seemed to be glowing from within.

“Accio,” Alexei called softly, and a large stone basin came floating into the room, coming to rest on the coffee table.

“A pensive,” Yuuri breathed.

Viktor slowly opened the locket and inside, perfectly preserved, was one long blue, glowing thread. He gently tipped it into the basin before securing the chain of the locket around his neck, his fingers brushing the metal affectionately.

Slowly the contents of the Pensive swirled before a woman’s face floated to the surface.

She looked so much like Viktor, at least like the Viktor of a year ago. The similarities were far more subtle now. She was smiling, but Yuuri couldn’t help but note the deep sadness within her eyes, so similar to that which he’d seen in Viktor on his worse days. She seemed to be looking directly into a mirror, noticing her own reflection as she began to speak.

“My boys, I am sorry that I was forced to leave you this way. It is something I am not sure I can ever ask your forgiveness for. The truth is I wish I was stronger, wish I could stay, but I can’t. I don’t know that I have ever been meant for this world. Maybe I am weak? Maybe I should have asked for more help? I wish I could, but it’s just so hard…

“Alexei, I know you work so hard, doing what you think is best for me and for Viktor, but he will need you now more than ever. Do not shield him away from the Muggle world; do not take skating from him, whatever you do. Vitya is so like me, his emotions run deep. He has the ability to love with such depth it will take your breath away. But that comes at a price. He also feels things much more deeply than you do, my dear.

“That is why he will need you, need you to protect him, guide him, give him the freedom he needs to express all those feelings, and know that he is loved each and every day. That is something only you can do. You know I see things, and I have seen glimpses of what our son will do when he stands beside his angel. Do not abandon him in your pain. Try and see things from his point of view and he will fill your life with joy, more so than I ever could.

“And Vitya, my darling son, know that I love you. And so does your father. I know he is terrible at showing it to you but it’s true. He needs love too; he needs you, the world needs you. Keep skating, keep striving to be the best, keep seeking your angel. I can see already that you’ll know what this means when you see this. I hope you have not waited too long.

“Your angel will save you, but in return, you will save him. You will hold each other up, and in turn, you will change the world. The two of you are history makers and you will change the wizarding world forever. So skate my son. Tell your story with your blades and your magic.

“One last thing before I go. Do you remember the first time we took you skating, Vitya? You were so happy.”

The image shifted as a scene showed within the basin, of a tiny bright blonde taking his first steps on skates. But it wasn’t his mother or Yakov beside him; it was Alexei, a look of purest love clearly visible on his face as he helped his still slightly pudgy son stay upright on his bladed feet.

”That is my favorite memory. I know you two have your differences, but it’s only because there’s a part of you that is so similar. You’re both so stubborn, and love so strongly that you sometimes forget that it’s ok to rely on each other. With me gone, you will need each other more than ever. Don’t abandon each other.

“I love you both.”

And as her image faded, for a small moment it shifted, becoming a blue rose floating on the surface of the pensive.

Yuuri turned towards Viktor, who was staring at the Pensive, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed, “Mama…”

Unexpectedly Viktor turned and slammed into his father, crying openly, hugging his father tight, speaking in messy Russian, sobs breaking his words. The only words Yuuri could catch were Viktor sobbing “Papa” over and over and he cried into the older man’s chest.

For a moment Alexei stood frozen, then suddenly, as if coming alive for the first time in years, he grabbed hold of Viktor, hugging him, tears flowing freely down his face and he clutched his son’s head, now nearly as high as his own and whispered first in Russian and then in English, “Vitya, I love you son! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.”

“I love you too, Papa!”

Yuuri felt a tug at his sleeve and looked up to see Minako, eyes looking rather misty, motioning for them to leave the two alone. Yuuri followed her into the hall, soft words of Russian whispering behind him as the two remaining Nikiforovs truly spoke to one another for the first time in years.

 

“What was Mama like?” Viktor asked softly, leaning against his father as they sat on the floor of his mother’s sitting room in a way that he could never remember doing in his life. Perhaps he had done so as a child, but he had no memories of it.

“Beautiful, smart, and a bit of a rebel.”

Viktor looked up, “Really?”

Alexei laughed, “Yes, though it’s hard to imagine it if you can only remember her in those last few years of her life.” He sighed, “To understand her you’d have to go back quite a ways. Tell me, Viktor, do you remember your Grandparents?”

Viktor shook his head, knowing his father meant his maternal grandparents who had died when he was still a toddler; there were photos however, and it seemed that they had been a constant in his life before he could crawl.

“You know both of our families our very old wizarding families, but what you don’t know is that your grandparents were never able to have children.”

Viktor stared at his father, “What do you mean?”

“Your mother was adopted. It’s not uncommon for families to take in relatives to grow their family but your mother wasn’t born of any wizarding family. She was a Muggleborn.”

“What?!” Viktor couldn’t believe his ears as his father nodded, and continued to explain.

“Her family was nothing more than a thoroughly average set of Muggles. You mother was clever and bright, and she loved to dance, so they had her in lessons the moment she could walk. She was happy and things were good. But by the time she started school her magic started to present itself.

“Strange things would happen around her, things she couldn’t explain. She was bullied rather ruthlessly by the other children. Had she had a loving family to go home to perhaps this would not have mattered, but unfortunately for her things were worse at home.

“Her father was distant and became violent when he’d lose his temper, beating his wife and children whenever he sought fit; and having a daughter who seemed to attract attention and strangeness like a magnet was the perfect target for a man filled with rage and desperately seeking to control the world around him. Her mother wasn’t much better, drinking the day away to dull the world around her. Your mother was caught in the middle.

“It all came to a head when she was 8. During school one day her magic just slipped out far too much to be seen as simply something strange. It took quite a few memory charms to clear it up and that evening officials took her home to explain the situation to her family.

“To say the least your mother’s family didn’t respond well to the news. Her mother was too drunk to process any of it, and her father tried to kill her for being an ‘abomination’. Your grandfather ended up blasting the man in the face quite forcefully with a stunning spell to protect her. It took quite a lot of work and paperwork, but by the end of the day your mother was adopted into a wizarding family, no one in the Muggle world even realizing she was gone.

“Lilia was the only one she remained in contact with. Of course the story for her was that your mother was simply removed from an unsafe home. Your mother begged to continue her dance and your grandfather couldn’t say no.”

Viktor shook his head, “I can’t believe she knew Mama that long. She never said anything during my lessons.”

Alexei chucked and nodded, “Yes, she was quite a bit older; practically a Prima already, but she saw your mother like a little sister. I suppose she had her reasons for not telling you, though I don’t know what they are.”

“Seems like a lot of adults find reasons not to tell me things,” Viktor pouted.

Alexei sighed, “Including me.” He leaned his head into his hand. “I never imagined I would become someone like her father. I know I’ve never gone to his extremes, but I shouldn’t have hit you, not when you were younger, not last summer. Especially not last summer.  I just saw all of that man’s memories and assumed the worst. I should have listened to your side of the story first.”

Viktor chewed his lip. “You should have, but maybe we both need to listen more. Could you keep going? I want to hear more about Mama; I feel like I know nothing about her and…” he paused, worrying his lip again, “I haven’t really talked about her in so long. I miss her.”

Alexei nodded, squeezing Viktor’s shoulder gently, “Of course. I suppose I haven’t talked about her in a long time as well. It’s nice. Where was I…oh right, she had asked to keep training with Lilia. Your grandparents, unable to deny her anything, made sure your mother could train with Lilia as much as she wanted, and they took her to every one of Lilia’s performances. After the years of abuse she’d suffered, your mother wasn’t very comfortable in large crowds, but she trusted Lilia and her new parents to protect her. Other than that she almost never left the house until she started school.

“And that’s where we met.”

“At Koldovstoretz?” Viktor clarified.

Alexei nodded. “Your mother wanted you to go there very much. She loved her time there. It was the first time she could be absolutely herself without anyone growing angry at her. On her worse days, when the memories of her childhood would catch up to her, the worse that would happen is they’d give her a calming potion and let her rest.

“They never treated her, never really understanding what was wrong. Then again no one really did. I have to admit I was no better; I never even considered looking to Muggle medicine to try and understand your mother. That is until your tiny ferocious friend screamed at me. Does he know he rather resembles at cat?”

Viktor snickered, “I call him kitten when I want to piss him off.”

Alexei smiled but soon sighed, “I never understood any of it Viktor. I was so caught up in all the good that your mother possessed I failed to see the bad until after the fact.”

Viktor bit his lip. “I think I did the same.”

Alexei hugged his son, his hand palming the short silver hairs that covered his head. “After we completed school I asked to marry her. Truthfully I had no idea she was Muggleborn, but once your grandfather told me I honestly couldn’t have cared less. I was already so in love with her. We were married, we had you. We’d attend the ballet; we’d go to parks as a family. We were happy.

“Your mother had always loved Herbology so she began studying horticulture in her spare time and was soon creating the most wonderful plants. She’d even go to shows, displaying her amazing creations, and invite friends from that world to view her greenhouses. You soon fell in love with skating and we’d take you to practices together. She had good days and bad, but for a time the good far outweighed the bad, even after her parents passed.

“It was her brilliance that helped me make my discovery. The way she’d see things was incredible. I was at a dead end with my research and she takes one look at it and sees it completely differently. I couldn’t have completed my work without her. I tried to credit her, but she refused, preferring her quiet greenhouses to my lab and lecture halls.

“But then she had one of her bad days. She had taken you to practice and then gone to pick up some floral supplies while she waited. I imagine she was already straining to keep herself under control, her depression already made it hard. She was in the store and an employee knocked over a large stack of planters right by her; the noise understandably frightened her.

“It caused a chain reaction, her magic blasting half the store. Of course the Muggles just thought it was an unfortunately chain reaction from the dropped planters, they were more concerned because your mother was bleeding. Of course when she was in that state the last thing she needed were a bunch of strangers crowding around her, picking bits of debris out of her skin with crude metal instruments.”

Viktor understood completely, “Yuuri gets panic attacks sometimes; too much stimulation makes it worse.”

Alexei nodded, “Exactly. All the noise and movement caused her to break down. She finally ran out of there and came to get you and you were crying. Obviously you were simply scared because your mother was late, and when she did arrive she was covered in dirt and blood. It would scare anyone.

“But in that state, she didn’t understand. She just couldn’t process the logic. I came home to find you hysterical and your mother breaking down. Of course I was an idiot and set to raging around wondering what happened. Not my finest hour.

“From then on everything was different. Your mother made me tear down her greenhouses and build the rink in the backyard because she couldn’t take you to lessons. She wanted all of the greenhouses gone, but I forced her to keep one. She didn’t step into it for over a year.

“I’d like to say I helped her, but truthfully I was fairly useless. It was Lilia who eventually got through to her. You hadn’t been to lessons in months so she came to see you both. She convinced your mother to come out of the house and let you come back to ballet lessons and introduced you both to Yakov.”

Alexei suddenly started laughing, “Well, you can imagine how that went. I wonder if you remember it?”

Viktor nodded, he did, but only a little. He remembered the rink, how smooth it was. Yakov had barked at him like usual, but his advice had helped him land his first loop. “Yakov was the only coach for me.”

Alexei smiled, “Meanwhile your mother was horrified by how that ghastly man was screaming at her son. I had to hold her back from hexing him. As it is I think she might have managed a silent spell or two to cause that unnatural amount of hair loss he seems to have suffered.”

Viktor gasped, “So it _was_ my fault! Poor Yakov!”

Alexei laughed heartily, “Yes yes, poor Yakov. Well eventually she believed us when we said Yakov was a good coach. Things got better, but they were never as they were. If I had known better I might have gotten her help, but then my research was published and I began to travel more. You got better and better, practicing more and more.”

“And she was alone,” Viktor murmured.

“Yes. She tried to go to your practices, but it was too much most days. The problem with shutting yourself away is it becomes harder and harder to come back out. Everyone tried, Lilia, you and me, but no one could convince her. Then you turned 11 and I’m sure she knew that loneliness and isolation would only get worse.

“Still, she was excited for you to go to school. She loved it there, loved studying magic. She was writing to friends she hadn’t contacted in years to see which of her old friends had children who’d be attending school with you.

“I don’t know what was different about that day, I truly don’t. I thought for years that maybe it was a mistake.”

“It wasn’t,” Viktor bit out.

Alexei’s jaw tightened but he nodded, “It wasn’t.”

They sat in silence for a minute before Alexei continued, “I know I let you down. I was so angry and hurt by what she did that I just lost myself. I kept seeing you in her and I just messed up. I convinced myself that you needed to be stronger, that you didn’t need reminders of all this. I was cruel to you.”

“Yes,” Viktor agreed, “you were.”

Alexei looked stricken, “If only I had understood what she was going through, what you both went through. I know I can’t fix the past, Vitya. I know that, but I’d like to try to do better about the future. I contacted Yakov a few months ago and asked him about you, about all the things I’d missed. He put me in touch with your doctor. She wouldn’t tell me anything of course, but we talked about a lot of things…”

“You talked to Dr. Petrov? As in therapy?”

Alexei grimaced but nodded, “I was going to ask to speak with you this summer. I knew you were busy with skating and school, and I assumed you were angry at me.”

“I was…I am, maybe. I don’t know.” Viktor sighed. “I just never knew what to think. Sometimes I’d see how closely you’d protect me, and then you’d just toss me and my accomplishments aside.”

“That was wrong of me. I think I’d always just blamed Muggles for your mother’s problems because it was easier then accepting responsibility for my own mistakes.” He paused, pulling something from his pocket.

Viktor’s mouth fell open as he saw his father hold out a sleek, new Smartphone. “It wasn’t easy learning to use this thing. I think the person at the store thought I was mad, but Yakov told me I could watch your performances on here on this app.” He pointed at the Youtube app, tapping the screen to open it. The history was filled with nothing but Skating videos; almost all were of Viktor but a few were of the two Yuris.

“That young man, your boyfriend, he’s quite good.”

Viktor nodded, “He’s amazing. He’s going to beat me before you know it. I’m so proud of him.”

“Will you tell me about him? And you, and everything that happened? I want to try and understand. I want to be a better father. I want to listen.”

Viktor took a deep breath, settling himself and began his story, telling his father everything he could remember about the time since his mother died. When he explained what happened with Killian, he could feel his father’s grip tighten on his shoulder, but the man stayed quiet.

When he spoke of Yuuri, something in his father’s face grew very soft.

“You love him.”

Viktor nodded, “I have for a very long time. When I first saw him skate in that video I felt it. When I met him at Worlds I knew it. When I met him again at Hogwarts I was desperate for it. But I wanted to understand it. I wanted to know him so I could understand why I loved him so much. I could have asked him out after a few days and he would have said yes, but I’m glad I waited.”

“You got to know him first.”

“Da. But I also got to know myself. I shared myself with him and he accepted it. When I was having one of my bad days, he stayed with me. He admits his weaknesses to me and doesn’t judge me for mine.”

“But he’s also brave enough to fight for you, and for himself,” Alexei said in a teasing tone.

Viktor smiled up at his father who continued, “I thought he was just like the other one. I thought he was just one of many, but I can tell by how you talk about him, he’s unique.”

Viktor nodded again. “I think he’s my soul mate, Papa.”

Alexei stiffened for a minute before relaxing with a sigh. “Ah, Vitya. And here I was hoping you’d get to sow a few wild oats before settling down unlike me. Maybe I wanted to live vicariously through you?” He chuckled, “I’m glad though that you have found someone to make you happy. Your mother would have liked him. I can tell.”

Viktor smiled a bit sadly, “I know she would have. Sometimes I get angry at her for leaving.”

“I do too, son. There’s nothing good about what she chose. I’ll never hate her, and I’ll always love her, but I can’t agree with the choice she made. I’m sorry it took so long for us to talk like this. Once I started to try to understand all of this I became a bit terrified you might do the same as her. Please don’t son. Whatever it is, no matter how bad, come to me.”

There were tears in his eyes and Viktor felt his own begin to flow. “I will, I promise. We’ll talk more, Papa.”

Alexei pulled Viktor into a gentle hug. “Thank you, Vitya.”

He pulled back, slowly reaching into his pocket again and pulling from within the folds two slips of paper.

“The World’s tickets!” Viktor gasped. “But you sent them back to me!”

Alexei grinned sheepishly. “Copies. I um…I went to see you at Nationals and Europeans too.”

“You did?”

Alexei ran his hand through his hair sheepishly, “Yes. I performed a bit of magic so you wouldn’t recognize me but I wanted to see you.”

Viktor scowled, “You should have told me. I probably would have won gold at Europeans if I’d known.” Alexei laughed and Viktor bit his lip. “I’m going to win World’s, Papa. My Short program is dedicated to Mama. I want you to watch it. I know you’ve seen it but it’ll be better this time.”

“Of course, Vitya.”

Viktor looked at the floor for a minute, “There’s also my Exhibition. I have a new program. Not even Yakov has seen the whole thing, but you’re not going to like it. Minako helped me with it a lot but I’d like it if you’d help too.”

Alexei raised an eyebrow, “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to have to write a letter of apology to more than one government by the end of the week?”

Viktor grinned, looking up at his father, “So you’ll do it?”

Alexei groaned before patting his son on the head, “What did you have in mind?”

 

A few hours later Viktor and Alexei made their way back down to the first floor of the house to collect Yuuri and Minako only to be tackled by two very excited poodles the moment they came around the corner from the stairs.

“Makka!” Viktor giggled as his poodle licked all over Alexei’s face.

“Good girl, Makka, I missed you too,” Alexei whispered to the dog he hadn’t seen in nearly a year. “Vitya, did you get another dog?” He stared down at the second poodle who was now curiously sniffing his shoes.

“Sorry Mr. Nikiforov! Vicchan is my dog,” Yuuri huffed, trying to pull Vicchan back from his query. 

Alexei stood, his face defaulting to a stern expression that he quickly wiped away with one glare from his son. “It’s quite alright, Mr. Katsuki, ah, Yuuri? I rather used to poodles’ spirited natures. You may call me Alexei by the way; we’re going to be seeing quite a lot of each other after all. I think we can forgo the formality.”

Viktor beamed while Yuuri blushed and stammered, “I-I couldn’t do that!”

“Never stopped you from using my first name,” Minako teased him.

“You’re different!” Yuuri realized his mistake instantly as Minako grabbed him in a hold and began rubbing her fist on the top of his head affectionately. “I’m sorry!”

Viktor laughed, as he and Alexei rubbed both of the dogs behind the ears. “How’d they get here?”

Yuuri panted as Minako finally released him, “Mari texted me that Vicchan was pining since I wasn’t home at my normal time so Minako suggested I go get him. When I got back she had Makka.”

“I figured he’d like to see Alexei and since you were already planning on having your friends bring him to Calgary I saw no harm in it.” She shrugged looking as if it was only logical.

Yuuri smiled and sat on the floor next to Viktor and was immediately covered with very affectionate poodles. “I wish we could bring them to the rink with us. Having something else to focus on helps my anxiety so much. At Four Continents Viktor was able to be on the phone with me, but this time we’ll both be busy getting ready; I know we can’t dedicate that much time to each other this time.”

Viktor scrunched his face, wishing he could tell Yuuri differently but he knew it was true. He would be busy with his own warm-ups when Yuuri performed (he’d be lucky to get to watch Yuuri’s performance), and Yuuri would probably still be getting interviewed during his.

“Well why can’t you?” Alexei asked. “All that’s needed for an emotional support animal is a prescription from your doctor and Viktor seems to more than qualify for that, and I’m sure if Yuuri’s anxiety is as bad as you say he could qualify too. You should just have Dr. Petrov write them up for you.”

Viktor and Yuuri stared at him.

“Vitya, are you sure that’s your dad?”

“I mean…maybe? I suppose someone could be using a Polyjuice potion to imitate him, but for what purpose?”

Alexei rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone, speaking in quick Russian and Viktor’s eyes grew wide as he listened. “He’s asking Dr. Petrov to write the prescriptions,” he whispered to Yuuri and Minako.

Alexei abruptly hung up. “It’s all set. She said the ISU might have some arguments about it; I take it you can handle that, Minako?”

“What do I look like, a witch?” Minako grinned and Viktor had to repress the urge to roll his eyes; of course she could get them permission. He was convinced there was nothing she couldn’t do. It was both useful and terrifying.

Alexei raised an eyebrow in response. “Alright then, no point sitting around here all night,” he flicked his wand and a suitcase appeared in his other hand, “let’s get back to Canada. Maybe those Mapleheads will have learned the proper way to make tea since the last time I was there.”

“Unlikely,” the others all said at once, all laughing as they took hold of the dogs and as a group, turned on the spot and headed back to Canada, still bickering as they went about the correct way to make tea.

 

\------

 

_With a view overlooking the ice, the two sportscasters smile up at the camera while skaters warm up below. Brian Weir and Scott Lysacek are both former figure skaters, now retired and excited to call for the BCX broadcast. All around them the stadium is filled with people and noise; the cameras occasionally pan to the audience, both inside and out. The atmosphere is electric as the light on the camera turns red and Brian begins the broadcast._

“Well it is an exciting April morning here in Calgary today as people from around the world stream in to the Stadium ready to witness the biggest skating event of the year. In fact this year’s competition is so big they’ve made some improvements to the stadium, more than doubling the capacity!”

“You know Brian, the work only just completed a few weeks ago, but it couldn’t have come at a better time and this year’s event seems more popular than ever, with so much excitement being drummed up over the Men’s division in particular.”

“That’s right, Scott, the field this year is one of the most competitive we’ve had in years. So let’s get right into it. Who should we be looking out for this year?”

“I think it might be easier to ask who we _shouldn’t_ be looking out for. Let’s start right here at home with the hometown favorite Jean-Jacques Leroy butter known as JJ! As you can see he has quite the cheering section here at the stadium which already looks ready to burst with excitement.

“JJ has been right in the running all season long, taking home an unexpected Bronze at the Grand prix Final, and just a few weeks ago he secured Gold at Four Continents, holding back the Japanese and American skaters. Now he’s here in his home country, and that’s sure to give him an advantage.

“Of course as we just mentioned we have the Americans who we’ve talked about earlier in our broadcast, while not expected to medal this weekend, they should never be counted out. We also have Cao Bin from China who came in sixth at the Grand Prix and has been relatively quiet all season, but the potential to make a stand is always there with this skater.

“But the real story is the youngest Japanese skater, Yuuri Katsuki, who has appeared on the scene out of nowhere. A year ago he wasn’t even competing in the Juniors but after a shaky performance at Japanese Nationals he shocked everyone with a masterful performance loaded with not one, but two new programs and three Quads at Four Continents, securing a Silver for himself!

“You really cannot understate how impressive this performance is, especially with having so little time to perfect it. While his world rank is a bit lower than some of our other top competitors, I think it’s likely we’ll see him make it to the second day of competition, and potentially onto the podium.

“And of course he isn’t Japan’s only hope. They’ve also sent Kaito Oda who placed 8th at last year’s Worlds, he missed the Prix this year and was out with an injury at Four Continents, but he is back and based on yesterday’s practices he looks better than ever. He is scheduled to add a new Quad to his program during the Free Skate portion which is sure to push him forward in the competition.

“Moving to the European side where things are may be even more exciting we start with Christophe Giacometti who hasn’t missed a podium all season. His programs have a new maturity this season which is really serving him well.

“From France we have Killian Durand. He’s been a bit inconsistent this season, but as he clearly showed at Europeans, when he shows up, he’s the one to beat. He was clearly disappointed by last year’s Worlds results and he’ll be looking to take back his title today.

“And finally we have the entire Russian team, all of whom have potential to make the podium here this weekend. First is Georgi Popovich who came in 5th at the Grand Prix. He was a bit silent at Europeans but he placed second at the Russian Nationals which definitely shows his potential to challenge the competition this weekend.

“Next is the current Junior Grand Prix Champion. Yes you heard that correctly! Yuri Plisetsky moved up to the seniors mid season after his Grand Prix win, grabbing 3rd at Russian Nationals and 4th at Europeans. He is a ferocious skater and keeps getting better. If he doesn’t make the podium this year he will certainly be on it next year.

“And finally, our current World Champion, eighteen year old Viktor Nikiforov, who surprised everyone last year by landing a Quad Flip for the first time in history. It has since become his signature jump and there are rumors he has even more to show us. He is the current Grand Prix Champion and he has a lot to prove after falling to second at Europeans.

“Some are already calling this young skater a living legend and he seems to live up to that nickname every time he steps onto the ice. He smashed multiple World records this year, including some of his own. He keeps his programs fresh by changing up his Exhibitions frequently, including a brand new never before seen program for this weekend. But I think you have a few more details about that for us, don’t you, Brian?”

“Thank you, Scott, and you’re right! This week I had a chance to sit down with many of the skaters, but none was so surprising as my interview with Nikiforov, which we aired for the first time last night. But for those of you who may have missed it, when I spoke to him about his short program he’d told me it really has two meanings. He’s told us before it’s meant to raise awareness about child abuse, but he also revealed to me that it is the story of his own childhood, culminating in the suicide of his mother. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see him share that story in words, and I have no doubt that when he presents it on ice today it will be even more so.

“He told me he was inspired to create the program after learning that his mother had been the victim of child abuse, and wanted to tell their stories together; to show how her abuse eventually lead to his own suffering. He wanted everyone to see the affects of abuse have consequences that can reverberate long after the abuse stops.

“On the opposite end of the spectrum, his Free Skate is the story of his recovery, and about accepting the love of those around him which in turn allowed him to heal. While he wouldn’t share any specifics, he and his father both confirmed he was the victim of a sexual assault last year and, though you would never know it based on his performances, he’s been struggling with serious depression ever since.

“To be honest I was shocked by what I learned in the interview, but I was so inspired when I visited the practice rink with him. As you can see on your screens now, he’s here today and surrounded by an amazing support network. At his side is boyfriend, and fellow competitor, Yuuri Katsuki, who joined him at the end of the Grand Prix for an emotional celebration when he won his Gold there.

“With them today you’ll see two new additions to their entourage, their dogs! Katsuki’s coaches confirmed earlier this week that he suffers from severe anxiety, so when Viktor’s doctor suggested classifying his own pet as a support animal to help him in his recovery, Katsuki did the same. The ISU was a bit hesitant about allowing the animals in the arena today, but as you can no doubt see, they seem to be quite the hit with the other skaters.

“Also with them is their rink mates, coaches, Viktor’s father who hasn’t been seen at competitions before, but has indicated he will be accompanying his son far more in the future. But two of my favorites with them are the two women you’ll see on your screens now. Ballet fans will no doubt recognize Lilia Baranovskaya and Minako Okukawa, both former Prima Ballerinas at the St. Petersburg ballet as well as many other companies. Each of these women have been working with the Russian and Japanese teams, giving both teams a real edge when it comes to their performance scores.

“I don’t usually declare a personal favorite before the start of competition, but I have to admit that I am rooting for these two. It’s hard not to be drawn to two young men who are so clearly surrounded by such a loving group of people.”

“I can’t disagree with you, Brian. In fact, I think an awful lot of the other skaters are rooting for those two. It’s really quite amazing to see how the skating world has really come to surround these two young skaters that are clearly inspiring everyone around them. I’m excited to see the stories they tell us on the ice this week.”

_The announcers pause as an announcement rings over the stadium speakers followed by a roar from the crowd._

“Well there we go, Scott, are you ready?”

“I don’t know if I am, Brian, the excitement in here is too much!”

“Agreed! This stadium is twice its old size, but it feels even bigger than that it is so loud, and the air is just crackling with energy.”

“Well whether we are ready or not here we go, this year’s World Figure Skating Championships are officially underway!”

 

 

 

**EXTRA: Klavdiya Nikiforova**

Born Diana Volkova, she grew up in a Muggle home. Her family, while not poor, was never flush with money either. She was a quiet child whom odd things always seemed to happen to, especially when she became afraid or angry. Other children enjoyed bullying her in hopes of seeing something funny or bizarre happen.

Each time these happenings would occur word was sent home to her father, a strict man, who was sure Diana was attempting to cause trouble in order to get attention. His punishments were firm, and by western standards, quite harsh; however this treatment was not seen as anything out of the ordinary by those around them at the time.

Diana’s mother believed the girl needed an outlet for her energy and signed her up for ballet lessons. At first these lessons were not well received by her daughter, but eventually, in no small part thanks to her friendship with an older student, Lilia Baranovskaya, the art form grew on her, and indeed, helped with the unusual outbursts.

The older Diana got, however, the worse her home situation became, eventually devolving into a level of neglect and abuse to which authorities had no choice but to intervene. It is unknown what caused this devolution, but what is know is that despite the difficulties, Diana never missed a ballet rehearsal – the studio began waving her fees a few months before authorities removed Diana from her home.

The events of her last day as a member of the Volkov family are mostly shrouded in mystery, but what is public record is that there was a disturbance great enough  to call in both magical and Muggle authorities. The first wizard on scene was concerned enough by what he saw that he called in his supervisor, Robert Ivanov.

Mr. Ivanov was in charge of a branch of the Russian Ministry of Magic which worked in tandem with Muggle government to ensure a peaceful coexistent between the two. In other words he was considered the head of Magical Law Enforcement and Ambassador to the Muggle Government. Robert and his wife came from very old, all magical families, and had been trying to conceive a child for many years. Upon seeing the conditions of Diana at the time, which are still unknown to this day (requests for records have been made to the Russian Ministry of Magic with no response returned), Mr. Ivanov took the child into his own home. After several weeks of careful negotiations, the Ivanov’s were granted custody of Diana, upon which time, at her request, her name was changed to Klavdiya Ivanova.

After her change of name, much changed for Klavdiya. She was homeschooled by her new mother and showered with love and affection. The only thing that remained the same is she continued her ballet lessons. Upon reaching the age of eleven she attended Koldovstoretz and seemed to be a completely different young lady than the scared little girl that had entered her parents’ home several years earlier.

It was there she became known in her own right for her Herbology and Divination work, and eventually met and fell in love with Alexei Nikiforov. It is worth noting she thought he was a bit snobbish when they first met and refused to date him for no less than five years before she finally agreed to attend an invitation only Herbology lecture with him. They were married 4 years later, and had their first, and only child, Viktor 2 years later.

After consultation with several experts, her family believes she suffered from social anxiety disorder and depression as a direct result of the events of her childhood. It is believed she was already affected by these disorders when she entered the Ivanov household, but thanks to calming potions she was able to mask the effects of her struggles for many years.

She stopped taking the potions while pregnant with Viktor (at the advice of Medi-Wizards) and never took them up again. Under proper care of a mental health professional it is likely she could have lived a mostly normal adulthood. Personal journal entries described her existence near the end of her life as “desperately lonely, yet trapped within her own fears of rejection from the world.” It is also possible she suffered from agoraphobia, though this is nothing more than conjecture and impossible to ascertain postmortem – her journals simply don’t have enough details to make a clear diagnosis.

Her death was officially classified as suicide by overdose. A small memorial to her can be found at the Russian Society of Herbology, where one of her signature blue Roses can be found on permanent display to this day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go guys, we're in it now! Are you excited? Cause I am! Sorry this chapter took a bit longer than normal to come out. It was really complicated getting everything right.
> 
> Some notes:
> 
> Suicide is bad. It doesn't give you the last word, it doesn't fix things. This chapter is in no way meant to glorify Klavdiya's choice; the after effects of it only echoed her pain onto others. No condemnation meant to those who do make this unfortunate choice, but if you ever need help, ask for it. Please.
> 
> I really wanted to show the difference in Alexei and Killian in this chapter. Both made assumptions about Viktor, but when confronted with their misunderstanding they react completely differently. Killian just blamed Viktor and didn't want to accept responsibility. Alexei owned his mistakes and made immediate steps to correct them. He listened to Viktor and got help for his own struggles. They talk, they communicate, and that's why Viktor forgives him. He's gonna be a good Papa from now on. :)
> 
> You may notice some small differences in the way Alexei tells Klavdiya's story and her bio at the end. This is intention.
> 
> Emotional support pets can be obtained by prescription in the US. Not sure how it's done in other countries. Emotional support animals are not the same classification as service animals. They cannot, for instance, travel along side their owners on a plane. They must be stowed like any other pet, however the fees for travel are waved. They are not automatically allowed in most public places, but many businesses will allow them if you seek prior permission. Their hotel in Calgary is pet friendly (I'll share photos of it next chapter), and Minako and Alexei got permission from the ISU for the boys to bring them to the competition.
> 
> The stadium in Calgary is the [Scotiabank Saddledome](https://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/uploads/usat-images/2016/04/9672199-nhl-new-york-rangers-at-calgary-flames-850x560.jpeg) in Calgary. The stadium only holds just under 20k people. For my purposes, I had the stadium expanded to hold double the amount of people in this story. I imagine it would look a bit like what they did to [Soldier Field](http://www.cz-studio.com/_i/SOLDIER_02.jpg) in Chicago (only with a roof). Magic may have been involved in the renovations.
> 
> The sportscasters are based on how American sports coverage is done. Their names are a mash-up of Brian Boitano, Scott Hamilton, Johnny Weir, and Evan Lysacek, all American figure skaters I grew up watching (#old). The station name is just a mash-up of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, which are America's big networks who generally cover the sports. NBC has the official license to all Olympic coverage in America, which includes basically every figure skating competition, which sucks cause they won't stream them for free unlike other networks. They also do take downs of Gifs, videos and photos of any Olympic coverage because they suck.
> 
> Two chapters left! Next chapter should only take a week (*crosses fingers*). Thank you so much for your support in reading this fic! Comments, kudos, shares, reqs are all appreciated. Feel free to ask questions! I'm still taking any questions or side stories you want to see for another week.  Some will be covered in the main story, others in side stories. My plan once the main fic is done is to poke out some side stories as well as continue Queens of the Strip while I work on my next fic, so anything you want to see, keep 'em coming.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	39. Viktuuri Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, at one point Yuuri will use the word 'Iku.' This is the Japanese word for 'to go', but is usually translated 'Here I go.' You've probably heard it in basically every anime ever.

Yuuri sat on the floor as he slowly went through his warm-up routine, a small curve of a smile flirting across his lips as a particularly catchy tune came up on his playlist. Viktor had added a few tracks the night before and Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh as Single Ladies played in his ears. If there was an award for being the most extra figure skater at the World Championships, Viktor would win it hands down.

And if there was one for the most extra parent, Alexei would probably take it home.

It had been a surprise after months of only seeing Alexei as a harsh and unloving father to now see him doting on his son constantly. According to Lilia it was actually quite tame for him, which was telling.

It had started the very first morning after they’d all arrived in Canada for the second time, when Yuuri and Viktor had gone on their morning run with Makka. They’d arrived back at the hotel just as Alexei was returning from a nearby coffee shop, which he deemed to have “acceptable” espresso. He’d been confused why Vicchan wasn’t with them, and after Yuuri had explained the older man had immediately insisted on being given the duty of walking Vicchan each morning.

Now when they returned from their jog it was to find Alexei and Vicchan waiting with two protein shakes at the ready, both man and dog looking relaxed after their morning stroll.

He’d never considered bringing Vicchan with him to competitions, but now that he had he realized that it was abundantly helpful, not just for him, but Viktor too. When he’d last seen Viktor he’d been doing visualization exercises while laying his head on Makka’s stomach. Now Yuuri was stretched out in the skaters area readying for his warm-up on the ice with Vicchan’s head resting on his outstretched leg. The feeling grounded him and whenever his breath hitched and his thoughts spiraled, a gentle lick would bring him back to the present and he’d breathe a bit easier.

He’d been worried about the dogs in such a chaotic atmosphere, but Imara had caught wind of the change and begged off classes a few days early and had been working with both dogs all week. Vicchan had seemed a bit hesitant to listen to the witch, but Makka had instantly obeyed for her, causing Vicchan to quickly follow suit. Now Vicchan was behaving like he’d been trained for this his whole life.

The dog even seemed happier, not just at the attention, but it was almost like he knew he had a job to do and was just happy to be able to help Yuuri in his own small way.

Yuuri hadn’t exactly been comfortable telling the reporters about his anxiety, but Celestino had thought the truth was probably the best explanation for Vicchan’s presence, and then Viktor had told him he was going to talk about his story. Viktor had explained that not talking about his struggles had caused him years of pain, and if talking about it helped just one other person then it was worth any discomfort he felt. After that Yuuri really had no arguments left and had willingly talked to a Japanese reporter about his anxiety attack at Nationals; how he’d stayed up all night practicing for his Exhibition because he was so frustrated at breaking down like that.

He’d mostly avoided social media since then, but Phichit had sent him some screenshots and the response to both his and Viktor’s honesty had been mostly positive. They could both tell the exact moment Viktor’s interview aired as a tidal wave of support rushed in for Viktor when news spread about his mother. It had only grown in intensity when he spoke about the assault.

Many people wanted details so the person could be brought to justice, but Alexei had assured everyone that simply speaking out about it was justice enough for them.

“That person must now live with the knowledge of what their actions did to my son. Some may argue that we should protect others by speaking a name, but I think just knowing I am keeping an eye on them should keep them honest.”

He hadn’t been wrong. The moment Killian spotted Alexei he had turned white as a sheet and walked the other way. The rumors that Killian had harmed Viktor had been swirling for months among the skating community, and with this latest clue, it seemed every skater had now connected the dots.

None of them were happy about it. Killian was very short on allies this weekend and had mostly stayed out of sight hoping to avoid any attention, or giving anyone reason to tell the press their suspicions.

This of course suited Yuuri and Viktor just fine; Yuuri found it easier to relax and prepare for his skate when he wasn’t worried about keeping an eye on Viktor.

Yakov had three skaters to look after, and the truth was there was no way for him to keep up with all of them. Rather than try he’d passed off his duties to Minako and Lilia while he focused on Georgi until his skate was over and he could move on first to Yurio and then to Viktor. Based on Yurio’s texts he was actually having an easy warm-up because the other skaters were too afraid of Lilia to go near them, giving him plenty of space to work with despite how many skaters were in the building.

Viktor was in some back hallway staying out of sight while Minako ran him through his paces. He’d already sent three texts asking Yuuri how he’d survived a childhood spent with her, and one more telling him that Minako had agreed to give them couples pole dancing lessons that summer. Celestino had thought Yuuri had been having a panic attack when he saw his face after reading that text. He’d even summoned Dr. Petrov and Yuuri had had to have a very uncomfortable conversation with the doctor to assure her that he was fine and only suffering from a very extra boyfriend. She’d laughed and told him that dramatic side of Viktor was his own way to deal with nerves which made Yuuri feel a little better about his anxiety.

Now he focused on deep breathes and feeling the comfortable stretch of his muscles as his body got warm. He’d start jogging in place as soon as the final skater before his ice time was up, but for now he could relax and focus on loosening up.

He wasn’t in the first group, but he was near the back of the world standings, meaning he was skating in just the second group. His Four Continents and Asian Open scores had been strong (even if he barely remember the one – it was so long ago), but his overall lack of experience kept him from the top of the pack with Viktor and most of his friends.

Georgi was in the third to last group with Emil, while Yurio had managed to get into the second to last group with Oda and some of the Americans. He didn’t have a long senior history, but some of his Junior rankings had allowed him to move forward a bit. Viktor of course was in the last group along with everyone else, including Killian, who would skate last today.

It had been a big debate over who would end up with the last slot since Viktor had been claiming the biggest prizes lately; but the reality was he still lost to Killian more than he won, and until that changed he’d have to skate first. Needless to say Viktor was determined to change the leader board tonight.

With a nod from Celestino, Yuuri rose and patted his leg for Vicchan to follow him as they made their way behind his coach to the ice. The final skater of group one was finishing up and Yuuri watched a bit as he jogged in place. The performance wasn’t bad, but the competitor wouldn’t make it to day 2.

That was Yuuri’s only goal today. Medals and podiums were tomorrow’s problem. Today was just about landing in the top 24 in a highly competitive field; taking one of the few slots that so many athletes were fighting for. It would be a bonus if he could make it into the top 10.

He glanced up at the stands and couldn’t help but smile. The stadium had been slated for repairs, but thanks to some impressive magic over the past month, the stadium had been expanded to fit double the amount of Muggles, and half again as many wizards. Any Muggle who went to the “top” of the stadium would just find some service stairways that led to nowhere, but in reality there were two more tiers of seats that were packed with excited wizards, all watching the action below with their Omnioculars.

A few, like Yuuri’s family and classmates, had taken seats in the Muggle section; but the magical section was better for the vast majority who weren’t quite comfortable with Muggle interaction yet. Fortunately the clever magical devises made the distance seem like no hardship, as the Omniocular displays not only enhanced the user’s vision, but also had play by plays, identifying the skaters and skating moves, flashing interesting trivia, and identifying skaters and famous personalities in the crowd. 

Yuuri had borrowed a pair his mother had bought and tried them out earlier in the morning, pointing them at Viktor.

“Your favorite color is pink?”

“Is it?” Viktor asked, looking amused. “It changes every day. Pink does sound lovely though. I should have a pink costume made some day. Let me try.”

Yuuri handed Viktor the Omnioculars watching as he peered through them.

“Yuuri! Did you know you won an award at Mahoutokoro for highest honors in Astronomy?”

Yuuri blushed, “Um, yeah, I was there.”

Viktor gasped, “You were the top student!”

“I told you that Viktor.”

“But you never showed me pictures. You were so cute in your Gold robes. You’re also the first wizard in 27 years to bind to a Cherry Wood wand upon entry to the school.”

“Huh,” Yuuri had shrugged, “I didn’t know that. I knew it was rare but…”

Viktor looked up at him, “Yuuri…you’re _really_ cool!”

Mari had come up behind them and snorted, “Sure, cool. That’s what they call nerds nowadays.” She poked Viktor in the ribs. “Let me see those and go stand by Yuuri. Riko was telling me there are some special pop-ups when you’re together.”

“Really?” Yuuri asked.

Mari just nodded and peered through the lenses at them. “Viktor Nikiforov and Yuuri Katsuki. 6th Year Students at Hogwarts. Better known as ‘Viktuuri’.”

Yuuri tilted his head, “What does that mean?”

Viktor grinned, “It’s our online ship name! It’s been trending ever since the GPF. I think Phichit might have started it.”

“That’s a little…” Yuuri didn’t know what to think.

“It’s brilliant!” Alexei came swooping in with Makka and Vicchan in tow after taking them for a quick bathroom break before the day really got started. “Viktuuri! So clever and catchy. Look!” He pulled open his coat to reveal a t-shirt he was now wearing with the caption “#1 Viktuuri Fan’. Yuuri just stared. It was a bright pink and Alexei was beaming like he’d just found a dragon hide coat half-off.

“Oh my god…” Viktor breathed. Yuuri was glad that it seemed his boyfriend was on his side on this. “Yep! Pink is my favorite color today! Will you go buy me one, Papa?”

“I already did! I got a blue one for Yuuri too since he seems to favor it.” He pulled two more shirts out of a bag, making Viktor squeal in delight as he held his up. Yuuri resolved to never wear his outside of the house, even if it was kind of cute, especially when Viktor got so excited about it.

He couldn’t help but smile as he thought about his silly boyfriend while he stepped out onto the ice. Celestino took up a spot by the barrier and Vicchan popped up, his head poking over the barrier just like at the Ice Castle. But this was Worlds, and somehow seeing Vicchan like that was both surreal and adorable. He would have taken a picture if cameras hadn’t started going off all around the stadium to capture the moment.

“Send me a copy,” he quietly requested to one of the cameramen he passed as he began to skate. The man had chuckled but nodded.

Yuuri felt good. Better than good. He felt so relaxed. Viktor was here, his family, his friends, Vicchan; it was so perfect. He knew the next day would be harder. If he placed like he hoped he’d be performing alongside some of the best skaters in the World. They were his friends, but that didn’t make the situation less tense. They’d had dinner with a few other them the night before and it had been a bit more awkward than normal.

He jumped into his Triple Axel. It felt beyond perfect. Yuuri had been practicing his Quad all week, but only when Yakov and Georgi weren’t around. Yurio knew because Viktor talked to Yuuri on speaker phone around him too much, but they hadn’t wanted to draw unnecessary attention from the Russian coach.

Though he probably knew based on the looks he’d been giving Yuuri all week.

He moved through his step sequences, focusing on the feeling of his body moving smoothly along the ice, the music in his ears blocking out at least some of the sound. By the time they were called from the ice he felt comfortable and confident, and he gratefully greeted Vicchan as he came off the ice and followed Celestino back to the skaters’ area. Minako was waiting for them.

“I thought you were with Viktor?” Yuuri questioned.

“Yeah, I was. Alexei is with him now. They’ll come up when it’s your turn to skate to cheer you on. I’m just here to make sure you’re ready. You looked good on the ice.”

“I felt good,” he affirmed to his coaches who were both smiling. He didn’t have long to wait for his turn and could feel a bit of nervous energy flowing through him.

“Do you want to talk to some friends, or just keep focused?” Celestino asked. “Several of the other skaters wanted to wish you luck, but they’re staying back if you’d prefer your space.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but be grateful to his friends. “Thank them for me, but yeah, I feel like I’m in a good place right now, too much attention might throw me, but it feels great knowing they’re thinking about me.”

Celestino smiled, “I’ll let them know. You keep focusing on your warm-ups with Minako and Vicchan, then we’ll head out to the ice.” Celestino headed away towards the back halls, probably to tell the other skaters.

Minako was texting someone. “Alexei says he’ll bring Viktor up in 5 minutes, so you should have time for a couple of minutes with him before you have to be on the ice. Oda says good luck also. Now, first position!” She barked the last sentence at him and he couldn’t help but laugh as he took the position, making sure to keep his posture straight. Minako nodded, apparently satisfied.

A few minutes later he walked out to the ice, standing off to the side while Minako checked over his costume one last time and Celestino inspected his skates, making sure everything was in good working order. Yuuri had made sure to carefully secure his Muggle blades the night before, polishing the boots himself before he went to bed. They hadn’t needed the maintenance, but the motion had relaxed him.

He felt a pair of arms wrap around him and leaned back into Viktor without hesitation, feeling his boyfriend’s new bangs tickle his ear. He sighed happily. “You’ll watch me?”

“Of course,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri turned and smiled at him, leaning forward and kissing his lips softly. He could hear cameras going off but didn’t care. “I’m going to skate for me today, if that’s alright? I’ll skate for us tomorrow but I want today to be for me.”

Viktor grinned and leaned their foreheads together, “That’s perfect, zoloste. I’m so proud of you. You’re amazing in so many ways, and seeing you believe that makes me so happy.”

Yuuri smiled as the skater on the ice’s song finished. He pulled off his jacket and moved to the barrier. Makka had come with Viktor and he and Vicchan were sitting patiently by their sides, looking unbelievably well behaved. Yuuri gave both of their heads a pat, “You’re both being so good.” He got a couple of excited licks before he turned back to the ice, gripping Viktor’s hand perhaps a bit harder than intended.

He stepped onto the ice as the other skater exited, never letting go of Viktor’s hand as Celestino and Minako joined them at the barrier.

“It’s ok to be nervous,” Viktor whispered. “We all know you’ll be wonderful. Just take a deep breath and you’ll be fine.”

Yuuri nodded squeezing Viktor’s hand once more. Celestino and Minako stayed quiet, just watching him, both taking slightly exaggerated deep breaths for him to follow. He focused on that and the feeling of Viktor’s hand as the scores were read out.

He looked up and in front of him were Viktor’s eyes, brimming over with so much love Yuuri couldn’t help but be a little embarrassed. Not by Viktor, but by the knowledge that he would no doubt look the same in about an hour.

“I love you, Vitya,” he whispered as Viktor squeezed his hand tighter.

“I love you too, zoloste.”

Yuuri smiled, slowly releasing Viktor’s hand before looking up at them all. “Iku.” Their faces were full of smiles as he turned away and glided onto the ice, it’s smooth surface comforting him as he circled, keeping his breathes steady and letting the cheers from the crowd (and a few sounds that were surely magical) wash over him.

He took his place, set his feet, and took one last breath and couldn’t help but feel a quiver of emotion flow over his skin as the opening notes of the song played for what would probably be last time in a competition. This program had brought him so far.

He grinned and began to move, letting his feet flow through his opening choreography. It was soft and smooth, and he’d always liked how it was so lovely at the beginning, growing stronger with every chord. It really was his story, wasn’t it?

He started with _his_ Triple Axel. Sure, basically everyone did it, but it was his jump in a way that it was no one else’s. He was the one who would turn it into a Quad first, and he was the only one who called it his favorite jump – he would know with as much as he scoured skating websites and forums for any and all information on his competitors. He made sure to give it a tricky entry for a high score. Tomorrow he’d put it in the second half, but today It was right up front before heading into his dedicated footwork section.

This section was all about artistry, and Yuuri let all of his emotions flow through his body, keeping things slow and flowing. A few days ago getting the right feeling in the section might have been difficult, but today it was easy. In the past he’d thought of his friends and family, all of the people he wanted to thank for caring for him and standing beside him, but today was different. Today he’d think of Klavdiya.

It was strange skating for a woman he’d never met, but ever since he’d seen her face in that moment just before her image faded into that blue rose, he just couldn’t think of anything more fitting. Her eyes had been full of love.

He didn’t understand how anyone who loved that much could let go, but then he didn’t know her pain, and it was this knowledge that fueled him, because no matter what he had been through, the tethers of love in his life had always held him fast.

And for that he was grateful.

So he skated for her, because he wished he could have met her, could have told her about her son, could have convinced this woman who loved her family so much to love him too. To let him replace her as the most important person in her son’s heart, because that‘s what he wanted, more than anything he wanted Viktor to love him first, love him most. It was selfish, but that didn’t make it untrue, and to earn that he needed to be strong and prove right now he would always stand by Viktor’s side.

He wasn’t skating her story but his own. He skated it so she could watch him and understand him, even if she was no longer there to give him her blessing, he’d skate to earn it. Tomorrow he’d skate to earn Viktor’s heart; not just for right now, but forever, because Viktor was the first thing he’d ever truly wanted to hold onto.

The chorus picked-up and he hit a complicated death drop into a sit spin on the forward edge. It was tricky and it would earn him extra points, but he hoped it showed both his courage, and his willingness to go the extra mile for those he loved.

He kept moving, picking up speed as the second half of the program arrived, and launched himself into his Quad Toe Loop-Trip Flip combo, landing it cleanly. Celestino had argued he should mix it up, and he would, just not today. It would have made sense, really, to do a Salchow or something since he had changed his Quad Salchow at the end for Four Continents to the Quad Flip, but part of him didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Viktor must have been rubbing off on him.

He grinned as he took off, letting himself fly through the Quad Flip, and for the first time he heard the crowd roar; it only fueled him. That was Viktor’s jump. After tomorrow Yuuri would have his own jump, and he’s only use the Flip when he needed to, but especially when he skated for Viktor.

The Flip would always be Viktor’s, just as Yuuri would be.

He went into his final combination spin, pulling himself tight, pushing the rotations as hard and fast as he could until he slammed his feet down, taking his final pose.

The crowd was screaming and Yuuri couldn’t help but pant. He’d nearly stumbled at the end, but no one but him had to know that. Instead that fast ending would gain him a small performance boost that would please the judges, and he’d take it. He needed it.

He bowed to the judges and the audience, waving a few times as he picked up a few plushies: an onigiri that must have been from a Japanese fan, and a poodle. He skated to the side, eyes locked with Viktor’s, barely taking time to slow down at the edge of the rink as he threw himself into his arms.

Viktor was whispering to him in Russian, words he didn’t know but somehow understood. Minako and Celestino both wrapped around them and even Vicchan and Makka hopped up for a hug, making them all laugh. They made their way to the Kiss and Cry, and though he was sure the officials didn’t like it, Viktor sat with him with the poodles in front of their legs.

“You were perfect, zoloste.”

“Good enough for day 2?”

Viktor nodded.

“Good enough to beat you?” Yuuri asked, with a small smirk on his face as he handed him the poodle plush.

Viktor chuckled, holding the poodle close, “You wish, Katsuki.”

Yuuri giggled and they hugged again before Vicchan whined at being left out and Yuuri quickly hugged him too. “You’re being so good Vicchan!” he exclaimed happily to his dog who took that as a sign to roll over for a belly rub and Makka gently tackled him, the two of them playing together for a moment. Yuuri watched them until the announcer’s voice pulled his eyes to the screens, one hand in Vicchan’s fur, the other squeezing Viktor’s. He could feel Celestino’s hand on his shoulder while Minako was behind Viktor, all of them staring at the screens.

The score flashed.

Yuuri grabbed Viktor’s arm and shook it, admittedly a little harder than he intended. “Vitya!”

“Well done, zoloste!” He chuckled a bit at the shocked look on Yuuri’s face.

“But Vitya…101.9!”

“I know, I can see that.” Viktor was giggling as Yuuri continued to grasp his arm in disbelief. “It was well deserved too, you were brilliant.”

“But that’s in the hundreds! A short program in the hundreds!”

Viktor, Celestino and Minako were all laughing hard now. “Da, zoloste, you did so well. I’m very proud.”

He hugged Yuuri close and Yuuri buried his face into Viktor’s chest, finally releasing his arm. “I’ve never scored that high before.”

“I know.” Viktor pulled him in a little closer as Yuuri felt tears slip from his eyes. They stayed there for a moment, letting it wash over them before Viktor whispered, “Are you ready to get up? I’m sure the crowd would love to give you another cheer.”

Yuuri nodded, not caring much about getting another round of applause, but wanting to show his gratitude for their support nonetheless. He quickly dried his eyes and took Viktor’s hand as they stood and he waved.

They stepped out of the booth and away from the cameras for a moment where Minako and Celestino both enveloped him in another tight hug. Makka and Vicchan were both watching him, looking a bit confused by the combination of tears and laughter. Viktor stayed by his side, his mere presence radiating support.

Yuuri vowed to do just the same when their roles were reversed later that evening.

Celestino led them back towards the skater’s area where the press would be waiting, and paused just down the hall from the room where they could already hear the sounds of many people shuffling about.

“They’ll be wanting you for interviews now,” his Coach informed them softly. “I’ll go speak to them first while you gather yourself; don’t be too long.” Celestino hugged Yuuri again and headed down the hall. Yuuri could hear the cameras going off the moment he stepped around the corner.

“I’m going to take the boys back to Alexei. They’ve been doing great but I think the press might be too much for today,” Minako informed them.

Yuuri nodded, “Thanks Minako.”

She smiled, “Proud of you kid.” She hugged him once more before turning to Viktor. “You remember where to go? Summon me if anything happens, and don’t take too long or Alexei will come running.”

Viktor rolled his eyes but nodded, “I won’t be long, I promise. I know I need to finish my warm-ups.

Minako smiled and headed off with Vicchan and Makkachin happily following her.

“Not that I’m not grateful, but it’s weird when they give us privacy like this,” Yuuri muttered, drying his eyes with the sleeves of his jacket. He didn’t even remember putting it on, or his skate guards for that matter.

“We’re adults now. It doesn’t feel like it but for legal purposes in the wizarding world it’s true.” Viktor kneeled down and began unlacing Yuuri’s skates, replacing them with his trainers. Yuuri hadn’t even noticed anyone carrying them.

“Not in the Muggle world, at least not for me.”

Viktor smiled up at him, “I don’t exactly know what things were like for you before you turned 17, but your parents really treated you like an adult when we were there. I’m sure Celestino has noticed that.”

Yuuri thought about that, “Huh, that _is_ weird.”

“Right?” Viktor smiled, stood, and softly pressed their lips together. “I can’t wait for this weekend to be over. I am so crazy proud of your right now and I want to show you, but I am not about to do anything that could potentially affect our performances.”

“I mean, we could be _very_ careful,” Yuuri said with a grin, “but you’re right, its best to wait.”

Viktor nodded but whimpered a bit, “That’s what I keep telling myself, but we’ve both been so busy…”

It was true. With their crazy schedules over the past month they hadn’t seen each other much, or had time to really explore more of their newfound intimacy. They’d gotten to reconnect since arriving in Canada, but with daily practices and needing to be at their best physical condition, they hadn’t done more than kiss and touch. It was nice, but Yuuri would be lying if he didn’t want more.

“Soon, Vitya,” he whispered, kissing his boyfriend softly again.

Viktor nodded, “Go do you press then come find me. I was a little upset with your placement at first, but now I’m glad for it since you’ll be with me during the final warm-ups.”

Yuuri smiled, “I’m glad too. Tomorrow will be different, won’t it?”

Viktor nodded, “Yes, but we won’t know what it’ll look like yet. We’ll talk more about it tonight, once we know where we stand.”

 “I’d better go then,” Yuuri sighed. This was more nerve wracking then performing.

“You’ll be great, zoloste. You’re beautiful and people are going to fall in love with you; just not as much as I love you.”

Yuuri laughed, “Alright. I love you too, I’ll see you soon.”

Viktor smiled and left, back down the hallway Minako had taken. Yuuri took a deep breath and rounded the corner, following the sound of Celestino’s voice. He was nearly blinded by the flash of cameras.

“Yuuri!”

“Katsuki-san!”

“Yuuri, how are you feeling after your short program?”

Yuuri stepped up alongside Celestino, glancing to his coach who smiled down at him. “Well, I’m pretty happy…”

 

Yuuri had thought there was a limit to things the press could ask him about a two and a half minute program; he had thought wrong. Celestino had eventually needed to step in and end the questions so Yuuri could not only do his cool down, but also watch the end of the day’s competition.

“We should have enough time to get you stretched before Yuri Plisetsky is up. Viktor’s warm-up is right after that so he’ll probably be out by the ice. We missed Oda’s skate, unfortunately. He’s right behind you  by about 4 points.”

Yuuri nodded and followed his coach to a quiet hall near one of the entrances to the rink where they moved into his stretches. He was disappointed that he’d missed his older countryman’s skate. The two of them hadn’t seen much of each other since the start of the competition, both so focused on their programs, but they’d kept up a steady stream of texts all week, and Minako had apparently been working with Oda when Yuuri didn’t need her. He was sure they’d be pulled in for some joint interviews with the Japanese press at some point, and they’d already agreed to get dinner together once the competition was over. Yuuri was eternally grateful for his understanding senpai.

He pushed into his stretches, it wouldn’t do anyone any good if he got hurt because he didn’t properly stretch. Celestino had to push him harder than normal after such a long wait to complete his cool downs, but after Celestino’s careful ministrations his body felt better.

“I always appreciate that you’re gentler than Minako.”

Celestino burst out laughing, “Yes, she is a bit like a bull in a China shop, isn’t she?”

“Actually that’s a misnomer. Mythbusters tested that idiom and found that they aren’t all that destructive in enclosed spaces filled with fine china.”

“I am concerned how you have time to both be a world class skater and know these things.”

“YouTube is a fount of useless information.”

“Clearly.”

Yuuri grinned and pushed into his final stretch, flattening himself against the floor as Celestino gently pressed on his back. It felt good in a way that was hard to explain to anyone not familiar with the stretch.

He sat up and looked at his coach, face spreading into a hopeful smile. “Can I go see Viktor now?”

Celestino laughed, ruffling Yuuri’s hair. “I suppose so.”

Yuuri whooped and headed towards the ice, Celestino right behind him. He was in luck, the skater before Yurio had just finished his skate, and based on the look on his face it hadn’t gone particularly well. The crowd was still cheering kindly encouraging the skater to hold his head high even when his pants had splotches of white on his knee and thigh, obviously having suffered a crash right at the end of his program. Yuuri felt bad for him.

He spotted Viktor and Yurio standing with Yakov and Lilia across the way; Alexei was standing a few paces away with Minako and the dogs. Yuuri headed towards them, sinking down onto his knees for some puppy snuggles to revive him after the long press conference.

He peered up at the board as the skaters score was announced, somewhat surprised to see he was still in first.

“It won’t hold much longer,” Minako commented honestly.

Yuuri knew she was right, but a part of him couldn’t help but hope that she wasn’t. Viktor wandered over then as Yurio got his last instructions from Yakov, and Yuuri quickly stood to greet his boyfriend, their hands twining together without any hesitation as they watched their friend skate away from his coach.

“Yuri, Davai!” they shouted together. Yuuri could swear he heard Otabek call out too from somewhere in the crowd.

“Do you know what his program is about?” Viktor asked.

Yuuri shook his head.

“It’s about family, actually. For him, family has always just been his Grandfather, but over the past year he’s had to reevaluate those feelings. At least part of it is his way of thanking you.”

“Me? But why?”

“You have no reason to be his friend. You’re my boyfriend and a competitor; I think he just assumed you were only interested in him as a way to get close to me.”

Yuuri stared at the ice as the music began. “I would never do that.”

Viktor laughed softly and leaned their heads together as they watched, “I know that. But Yurio doesn’t have much luck with family. His mother only ‘cares’ about him when she dates someone who likes kids, and usually the guy either stops caring or leaves within a few weeks and then she’s gone hunting a new man again. You’re different; he likes that.

“Obviously there’s more to it than that, but your friendship sort of led him to this incarnation of the program.”

Yurio jumped then in a gorgeous and technically challenging Quad Salchow that had the crowd roaring as he danced beautifully across the ice.

“He’s nearly as good as you at spins, and nearly as good as me at jumps. His short program might even beat mine, but his Free is still a bit weak. He doesn’t have the stamina quite yet since he’s used to the Juniors.”

Yuuri nodded as he watched Yurio nailed a perfect I-Spin that he wasn’t even sure he could match. “I was thinking about your mother while I skated,” he whispered. Viktor stiffened but kept watching the ice and Yuuri continued. “That program is all about strength, and I couldn’t help but think how strong she must have been. I almost gave up so many times just because of some anti-Muggleborn bullying, and yet she just kept on fighting, no matter what she faced.

“I know some people might think what she did was weak, but I don’t. I know what it feels like to feel hopeless every day. I skated it like she was watching as my way of asking her to accept me. I wish I had met her, I think we would have gotten along well.”

Viktor was quiet for a moment as Yurio completed his last set of jumps, a Quad Toe Loop-Triple Toe Loop combination, before whispering, “Of course. You like dance, skating, and me. Her three favorite things.”

“I’m a little offended by that,” Alexei suddenly cut in.

Viktor smirked, “Sorry dad. I should have mentioned her roses, you’re right.”

Alexei slung an arm around his son, hugging him tight enough to make Viktor whine about not being able to breathe. They broke apart when Yurio’s skate ended so they could all cheer for the younger skater.

“Do you think I’d get in trouble for wearing your jacket instead of mine?” Viktor asked, suddenly looking at Yuuri, fidgeting a little, nerves finally showing as he prepared for his warm-up skate.

“Probably? But you should know that I put your jacket on every time you were in the shower this week.”

“Really?” Viktor perked up visibly, looking like he’d just been handed the greatest gift as he snuggled into his jacket. “Why didn’t you show me?”

“Get another Gold and I will,” Yuuri teased. It was odd the duality of desperately wanting to win and also wishing very hard to see Viktor win again.

“And what if you win?” Viktor asked mischievously.

“Then you wear my jacket, simple.”

“Deal!” Viktor grinned and headed towards Yakov with a happy wave while the ice was cleaned of all the cat plushies that had littered its surface after Yurio’s skate.

Yurio slid off the ice, dodging past Viktor as he put on his guards, saying something that made Viktor laugh. Yuuri was between them and the Kiss and Cry and as Yurio passed he called out to the younger skater, “Well done, Yurio!”

Yurio looked at him, a small sneer on his face for a moment before his face lightened ever so slightly. “My footwork still isn’t as sharp as yours.”

Yuuri chuckled, “Yeah, but I think your spins might be better.”

Yurio beamed. “We face off tomorrow, ok?” He held out his hand in a fist and Yuuri bumped his own against it.

Yuuri nodded, “Tomorrow.”

Yurio continued onto the Kiss and Cry with Lilia, his knees bouncing ever so slightly as he sat and waited. He was trying to remember to wave to the crowd but seemed way too nervous to play to them.

The announcer’s voice rang out and everyone’s eyes were directed to the monitors as 102.14 flashed with a large, bold number 1 next to his name. On camera Yurio jumped and cheered while Lilia clapped happily. Even Yakov was doing a small fist pump along his side while he continued to speak to Viktor who was rotating his shoulders as he waited to be let onto the ice for his warm-up.

Viktor’s eyes found Yuuri’s and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile at the reassuring look Viktor gave him. It wasn’t a surprising outcome, but Yuuri had to admit, having that 1 by his name had felt good.

“Well, at least now there’s a little pressure off before tomorrow,” Minako commented, patting his shoulder.

Yuuri nodded, but stayed silent, choosing instead to sit down and lean against Vicchan for a moment.

“We can go into the back until Viktor skates,” Celestino offered.

Yuuri shook his head, “I want to watch. It seems possible that I’ll be in this group tomorrow. The crowd’s more excited now than they were during my warm-up, I want to get used to it.”

Celestino and Minako smiled, and Alexei patted his shoulder as they all leaned against the wall and watched as the top six skaters began their warm-ups. Chris and JJ both greeted Viktor, one of the Americans, Cao Bin from China and Killian rounded out their numbers.

There was an intensity to the atmosphere that had Yuuri tingling as he watched. The skaters mostly stayed to themselves, but when they were called from the ice, it was Killian who left first, practically pushing past the others who all watched him with raised eyebrows and narrowed eyes.

Anyone could see there was tension there and Yuuri could hear the crowd muttering as Viktor and the others approached him. Only the American remained on the ice.

“Come on,” Viktor whispered as he took Yuuri’s hand, leading their group to the back skaters area where the skaters spread out, each preparing in their own way. Viktor pulled Yuuri down and then plopped his head in Yuuri’s lap, patting his thighs calling Vicchan and Makka over, both happily snuggling up beside him.  “I won’t get cold like this,” he said with a cheeky wink that made Yuuri smile.

Yakov rolled his eyes but didn’t argue as Viktor closed his eyes and relaxed. Yuuri traced his finger tips slowly along Viktor’s scalp. He envied Viktor’s new hair style which didn’t require nearly as much product to stay put as Yuuri’s did.

Neither of the first two skaters beat Yuuri’s score, which had Yuuri breathing a sigh of relief. Scoring over 100 was very good for the first day and should land him in good position, but the higher he ended the better. But then JJ skated and he managed a 104.73 and Yuuri had to take a deep breath to steady himself.

Viktor pinched his leg and looked up at him, “Its ok, I’ll make sure to be so amazing they all give up. The only one who will beat you tomorrow is me.”

Yuuri laughed, “You seem awfully confident, Mr. Nikiforov.”

“Indeed,” Viktor smirked, “for I am the greatest, Mr. Katsuki.”

Yuuri snorted and Viktor finally stood up when Yakov motioned them towards the rink. Viktor and Yuuri followed him with Vicchan and Makka at their sides, both dogs looking excited to go back out into the cold.

“Yuuri I want to kiss you before I skate,” Viktor said honestly as they approached the doors. Yakov rolled his eyes. “I’d rather do it right before hand, but if you prefer we can do it in private.”

Yakov said something and Russian and headed into the rink.

Yuuri swallowed but smiled, “Why not both?”

Viktor beamed and leaned in and kissed him, it was full of happiness and just a little longing.

“You’d better go,” Yuuri smiled when they broke apart; Chris was already on the ice and Viktor needed to be ready to go when it ended. Plus Yuuri knew that Viktor would want to see at least some of his friend’s skate.

Viktor whined but nodded, whispering from the side of his mouth as they entered the rink, “Two more days till I can have my way with you.”

Yuuri blushed but kept his face passive, as they stood beside Yakov. Makka and Vicchan both looked like they wanted to hop up against the barrier to look at the ice, but Yuuri stroked their heads, keeping them both down.

Viktor hissed.

“What happened?” Yuuri looked back at the ice to see Chris pushing through a tough footwork section. There was a patch of ice on his knee.

“He stumbled on his Quad Toe Combo, wasn’t able to get the second jump in.”

Yuuri watched Chris as he continued to execute his program cleanly. “Does he have a way to make up the points?”

“Maybe,” Viktor muttered back. They twined their hands, gripping each other’s fingers tightly. Yuuri wanted to win, but Chris was their friend, and both of them wanted him to do as well as possible.

His final jump was supposed to be a Triple Axel. Chris was a good jumper, but he usually didn’t have much left in the tank at the end of any program since he poured so much of himself into his performance. Yuuri saw him line up the jump. “That’s not an Axel,” he said just as Chris took off.

“Quad Lutz!” Viktor screamed, both of them shouting loudly as they cheered their friend on, both clapping hard as Chris took his final position and the crowd exploded. “It won’t make up everything he lost,” Viktor said with a laugh, “but it’ll help!”

Yuuri whistled loud, a trick he’d picked up from Minako years ago. “That was amazing!”

“Da, now I’ll need to get one. And I already have to chase you,” he whispered with a wink.

Chris came off the ice towards them looking happy and immediately threw himself into their arms for a hug, the three skaters laughing.

“Save a spot by the wall for me Yuuri,” he insisted as he broke away to hug his coach and make his way towards the Kiss and Cry.

Viktor quickly slipped off his jacket and guards, handing them to Yakov as he stepped onto the ice. Makka, unable to stop himself jumped up for a second and Viktor smooshed his face and whispered to him in Russian. Yakov quietly gave him final instructions and from nearby in the stands Yuuri could hear Alexei screaming at the top of his lungs. From even further away the magical section of the crowd was screaming as loud as they could for the final wizard of the night.

Viktor looked up and Yuuri smiled and leaned over the barrier to kiss him softly. It was fast, but no less meaningful. Viktor smiled and they just stared at each other while Yakov kept speaking. Occasionally Viktor would respond but his eyes never left Yuuri’s.

The announcer called out Chris’ scores but neither Yuuri nor Viktor looked. They just focused on each other until finally Yakov said, “Davai, Vitya.”

“Davai, Vitya,” Yuuri echoed.

Viktor smiled and looked finally at Yakov. “Do you remember my first lesson with you?”

Yakov looked confused but nodded. “You’re mother hated me.”

Viktor chuckled, “Da. I think she’d forgive you for yelling at me now.”

Yakov stared at him for a moment, and then slowly, ever so slowly, he smiled. “Da.”

Viktor waved happily and skated away calling over his shoulder one of the only Russian phrases Yuuri knew.

“Ya tebya lyublyu, zoloste.”

“I love you too, Vitya,” he whispered back. He knew Viktor wouldn’t hear him, but it didn’t matter.

He felt a rustling by his shoulder to see Chris leaning down to pet Vicchan and Makka before looking up and leaning against the barrier with Yuuri. “Tomorrow will be a battle for us both.”

Yuuri was confused for a second before he glanced up at the scoreboard, mouth falling open. “They gave you a 100.59?! You performed a perfect Lutz!” he couldn’t help but protest.

Chris laughed softly as the audience grew quiet for Viktor’s skate. “It’s alright, I’ve always done well coming from behind.”

Yuuri fixed his gaze on Viktor who looked relaxed. Yuuri nodded with a mixture of determination and pride. He would stand beside Viktor tomorrow; he would make sure of it.

The music started and Viktor was suddenly a very different man, in fact if Yuuri didn’t know any better he’d swear Viktor was using his magic to cast himself as his younger self. The image he gave in his every movement was so clear.

Yuuri was sure he’d pack his programs with difficult jumps, but he’d been surprised earlier this week to see that it was instead filled with some of the most beautiful footwork he’d ever seen, footwork that rivaled Yuuri’s own, and today he was performing it at his best.

His spins and step sequences were flawless, and when he leapt into a Triple Axel his arms swept above his head like a dancer, and for a moment he looked as if he could fly.

The moment he landed the second half kicked off with a dark flurry, and Viktor was instantly swept up in the turmoil and the pain of it all and launched himself into his Quad Flip arms raised once again, proving, at least in Yuuri’s mind, why it was still his jump, even if others tried it. No one would do it like Viktor did. Spiraling, sliding and throwing himself across the ice, the chaos of his program hurtling towards its end, and Viktor moved as if he was torn between clawing at his own skin and trying to stay upright while being buffeted by hurled objects. Slowly, his face turned from one of childlike joy to one of agony.

He made his final jump, a Quad Salchow-Triple Salchow combination before going directly into a set of combination spins that ended with him curled up on the ice, so small he could have been a boy.

The audience exploded, but for those waiting for him there was no sound, only silent tears as each of them swore they could see Viktor’s mother watching her son pick himself off the ice with unconcealed pride in her eyes.

It had been masterful; there simply was no other word to describe it. Viktor’s tears were clear in his eyes as he waved to the audience, blue roses and poodle plushies raining down around him. He collected a few before skating to them and letting himself be consumed.

It was a tangle of limbs. Yuuri had been sure he would be the most eager to hug Viktor, but Chris and Yakov were there too, and somehow Alexei had managed to race down from the stands and was piling on. Even Minako had somehow gotten in on this hug, though Yuuri hadn’t even noticed her nearby.

He didn’t mind; to be surrounded by this much love was what Viktor needed, and what he, Yuuri, needed as well.

“I saw the footage from last year,” Alexei whispered as they started to break apart. He pulled from behind his back a crown of blue roses. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind giving it to him again, Yuuri? Though this one is a bit different.”

“Those are Mama’s roses,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri didn’t hesitate, taking the crown in his hands and setting it on Viktor’s head.

“Does it still look good on me?” Viktor asked, a few tears still in his eyes. “My hair is short this time.”

Yuuri glanced at the others before smiling, “It looks even better.”

Viktor’s mouth went completely heart shaped and he took Yuuri’s hand, leading them towards the Kiss and Cry with Yakov. Makka and Vicchan, having obviously felt left out, wasted no time in jumping on them for lots of slobbery kisses making both of them laugh.

“It should be a good score,” Yakov grumbled. “Your second sequence was a bit sloppier than I'd like, but the rest was clean and well executed.”

Viktor smiled, leaning against Yuuri. “I'll be even better tomorrow, Yuuri.”

Yuuri kissed his forehead, “We both will be.” They sat in silence, holding hands while they waited for the announcements. Minako, who had always liked hearing the announcers had pulled up a live stream of the events and was watching as the announcers broke down the performance, step by step.

“That Flip!” Minako exclaimed. “Yuuri we’re going to have to start working on raising your arms. It looked so beautiful.”

The announcer’s voice boomed out and they all stared up at the screens.

“109.67 and a new World Record!” the faceless voice on Minako’s phone screamed. Everyone around Yuuri jumped and screamed, wrapping Viktor in hugs and kisses, even Yakov gave Viktor a hard kiss on the top of his head that had Viktor giggling.

The scene on Minako’s screen changed to view the skaters’ area where JJ, Oda, Chris and Yurio, as well as a few other skaters were all still conducting interviews. All of them were clapping and cheering. Oda was even telling a reporter he had helped Viktor perfect his arm raise in his Flip.

“You know, even with all the excitement of last year’s Worlds, with the younger Viktor Nikiforov surprising everyone with the first ever Flip and the Gold, this year is already probably my favorite.”

“Mine too, Brian, just look at this sportsmanship. Skaters all within chasing distance of Nikiforov celebrating his record with him; especially Katsuki, who seems even more excited than he was after his own performance. I don't know many athletes who could balance a relationship and their sport as well as these two teenagers have.”

“Well there is one person who doesn't seem to be celebrating, and that's the man on the ice. Killian Durand, who has been mostly staying out of the spotlight this week, now looks more determined than ever.”

Viktor and Yuuri had moved from the Kiss and Cry and were sitting on a bench while Viktor changed out of his skates and stretched out. There would be no escaping the press once he went out there, so it was important he did these things now or even Celestino’s expert hands wouldn't be enough to save him.

The music stared and Killian was off, twisting and spiraling through one of his typically strong programs. It hit and keep on hitting, with less focus on footwork, and more dedication to difficult spins and big jumps. And then…

“A Quad Lutz,” Viktor murmured. “I'm glad Chris pulled his out today. Killian was probably banking on being first. Hope he doesn't have a Loop up his sleeve. I know he won't touch a Flip because of me, and he's not ballsy enough for the Axel.”

“Even if he goes for the Loop it won't be today,” Yuuri agreed.

Killian jumped into another Quad Lutz, this one comboed with a Triple Salchow, right at the end of the program.

“He’ll beat me,” Viktor whispered, standing. Yakov was rushing to them, seemingly knowing exactly what Viktor did. Yuuri wasn't sure, to him Viktor's program was better, but he'd always focused more on the feeling of programs; Viktor and Yakov were masters of scoring technical programs in their head. Mila had once told him that Yakov and Viktor would sometimes go to Junior competitions to scout young talent and compete to see who could most accurately score the day’s programs. Yakov was winning, but only just.

They moved to the back halls where Viktor finished his stretches until a huge roar alerted them that the scores had posted.

“Another World Record,” Minako supplied, though she didn't bother with the score.

“It doesn't matter,” Viktor affirmed, I'll be beating him tomorrow, and so will Yuuri. He can get all the Short Program World Records he wants, but his style of skating won't hold him over through the Free Skate.”

Yuuri agreed, “You can't fill four and half minutes with just big jumps, and his artistry has always been weak. Plus his Free Skate is all about vulnerability, and he doesn't look like he could do that now if his life depended on it. He's fighting, like he's ready to swing at anyone who comes at him.

“He probably is,” Yakov grumbled. “I informed his coach about last year’s events as a courtesy after you told me about it. After your interview he called me and threatened to lodge a complaint if you named names.”

Alexis scoffed, “Obviously I need to pay him another visit.”

“Get in line, Nikiforov,” Minako snarled.

Yuuri smiled a bit bitterly, “You don't need to do that.” The adults all looked at him as he looked up, a new sort of confidence coursing through him. “I’ll silence him with my program tomorrow. With my jumps. Yakov, Celestino asked Viktor to keep the particulars from you, but would you mind looking at my program tonight? I don't know if I can beat Viktor, but I _will_ beat Killian. I'd appreciate your help towards that goal.”

Yakov looked a little stunned, “I see he flipped your switch, Katsuki.”

“You could say that,” Yuuri agreed.

“So hot,” Viktor whispered, making Yakov roll his eyes. “Fine, I'll do it. Clear it with Celestino first.”

“Of course,” Yuuri nodded at the coach. He took Viktor's hand and asked, “Ready to face the press and declare war?”

Viktor grinned, looking as happy as if he'd just won gold, “Oh absolutely!”

Once they stepped into the press area they were swarmed. The press had mostly gotten their fill of Yuuri, but they were all but salivating for the chance to speak to Viktor. Fortunately Minako had had the brilliant idea of keeping the dogs with them and insisting the press give them some space so as not to aggravate the poodles. While Viktor spoke to them, Yuuri focused on occupying the poodles, causing more than a few camera operators to become distracted, keeping the atmosphere just a tad more relaxed.

Eventually the informal interviews were concluded, and it was time for the official press conference. They spoke to each of the top positioned skaters individually, before calling up some pairs like Viktor and Yurio, Viktor and Chris, Viktor and Yuuri, Yuuri and Oda, Yuuri and JJ….basically a lot of combinations including Yuuri and Viktor.

Finally they called for the last group before the skaters were released. Yuuri wasn't sure what more they could ask him as he heard his name called along with Viktor's and the others in the top six. Killian was at one end and Viktor at the other, still wearing his rose crown. The press seemed to want them closer but all of the skaters refused to move. Yurio in particular was glaring at them all with a look of sheer malice at the suggestion.

“Gentlemen! Congratulations on a great day! There were many personal bests as well as a few records. Any predictions?”

It was a stupid question really. Especially considering it could be virtually anyone at the top tomorrow. Oda was in eighth and he was only 14 points off Killian score, an easily achievable mark. No one spoke for a moment, all clearly unsure how to proceed. Yuuri saw Viktor take a deep breath, looking ready to give a diplomatic answer when he was cut off by Killian.

“I'll be winning tomorrow,” he declared. “I don't care how many silly tricks or world records anyone pulls, I will beat them all. I won't let some overeager kids beat me, especially a bunch of newcomers. It takes more than one good performance to win Worlds.” He sent a glare down the table, clearly landing on Yuuri and Yurio. Yurio sneered and Chris and Yuuri had to each set a hand on his legs to keep him from jumping onto the table.

The press of course jumped on the declaration, having gotten exactly what they wanted. Killian grinned smugly and happily took control of the interview.

“So you’re planning to take back your title from Viktor?”

“Of course. Last year simply reminded me not to get complacent. As you saw today I’m stronger than ever. It’ll take more than a haircut to outdo my legs. My jumps are what’s gotten me this far, and they’ll carry me to the gold again.”

Yuuri was seeing red. He could feel Viktor’s hand on his waist but it wasn’t enough. The press was eager for Viktor’s reply, and Yuuri could see him thinking over the right response, looking uncomfortable with the obvious dig at him.

Yuuri took a breath, pulled off his glasses, and pushed his hair back; it was still mostly gelled into place but a few strands had sprung loose. Then, with all the confidence that he was sure he’d never possess he slammed his legs on the table, crossing one over the other, propped at an angle in front of Yurio, clearly showing, even with his training pants to cover them, his thick and heavy thighs, tight with muscle after months of training with Otabek.

The room grew silent.

“That’s funny, because I’m pretty sure anyone with a half decent coaching staff and access to a set of stairs can train up to do bigger jumps, but no amount of squats can make up for poor artistry. Personally I’d rather watch a high PCS program any day. Jumps can be added, but artistry takes a lifetime to hone.

“The three of us,” he indicated to Yurio and Viktor, “have all spent our lives being trained under Prima ballerinas. JJ’s parents, who are also his coaches, are ice dancers; and Chris at the very least has trained in pole dancing based on his Instagram, which I can say from experience really does help your form.

“But you, Killian, have openly said on dozens of occasions that you think the performance side of our sport is overvalued, and have refused to train in any form of dance; so what new ‘tricks’ do you really think you can bring? No matter how many new jumps you put in your program, I can promise you at least one of us here can do that jump too. Your ‘tricks’ are just that. Ploys to distract everyone from seeing you are an incomplete product.

“Your question was who do you think will win? I don’t know. Honestly the talent up here and throughout the top 10 is so strong I couldn’t even begin to guess, and I’m probably the biggest skating otaku you’ll ever meet. But I know who it won’t be, because you don’t win Worlds with just big jumps. You win it by showing the world depth in your skating, and I think it’s pretty clear who can and who can’t do that.”

The room was quiet, and the atmosphere awkward. Yuuri felt a blush starting to creep up his cheeks and the strong urge to climb under the table and hide. He shifted slightly in his seat, ready to bring down his feet when he felt a slight bang on the table as Yurio propped his legs on the table beside his.

“You could also try losing some weight, Durand,” Yurio grumbled with a false calm that Yuuri could recognize a mile away. “It’s got to be difficult to jump with that fat head of yours to screw up your balance.”

The room burst into a wash of sound and light then as the press reacted. Chris and JJ were both gasping with laughter as they raised their own legs up onto the table, JJ’s long limbs completely in Killian’s space now, making the Frenchman look even more uncomfortable than he already was after being called out. Viktor was giggling hysterically as he put his legs up too before nearly falling over laughing.

“I can’t! I can’t! I’m just not that cool! Besides, it’s not about legs! Clearly it’s all about the ass!” And Viktor twirled and stuck out his ass towards the camera.

Yuuri and Chris wasted no time hopping up and turning their cheeks to the cameras too. Yurio just rolled his eyes, “You are all gross.”

“Aw don’t be jealous, Yurio!” JJ called, standing as well, “It’s hard to compete with JJ-style!” He shouted with a wink, flashing his signature pose over his shoulder.

“That isn’t my name, JJ!” Yurio growled, hoping up and turning as well, teeth gnashing.

“Oh my,” Chris winked at the cameras. “I don’t know, who do all you think will win tomorrow? Personally I don’t think anyone can beat my _assets_.”

Viktor doubled over laughing.

“Now now Viktor, don’t go teasing me like that,” Yuuri whispered. Or at least he thought he had whispered it, but as cameras started flashing and Yurio screeched in disgust he wasn’t so sure.

Viktor hopped up and wrapped his arms around Yuuri’s shoulders happily. “Well that settles it; clearly I’m going to win by distracting the competition!”

The press had given up on taking the whole thing seriously and soon some poor, desperate looking ISU official came and called the end to it after Yurio started threatening JJ with his ‘knife shoes’, and Chris started asking Killian in rather loudly if there was a reason he didn’t like Viktor’s haircut. “He’s much more manly looking now, don’t you think? Or don’t you go for that sort of thing?”

Killian stormed away as soon as they were released and the others happily walked in the other direction.

They rounded the corner where Minako was waiting with Vicchan and Makka. “Fair warning, all of your coaches are pissed,” she snickered as she handed over the dogs’ leashes, waving to the others as she walked away. “Oda-kun! I missed lunch, take me out!”

Oda looked up at Minako from across the room, making eye contact with Yuuri for a split second and blushing a bit. “O…ok!” He quickly ran out past them whispering, “Good luck guys.”

The five skaters all stared, not really sure they wanted to move forward.

“We know you’re there, _boys_ ,” Celestino called out. “Best to get it over with.”

They all sighed and rounded the corner as a chorus of angry shouts greeted them in multiple languages. Yakov was beat red, shouting at Yurio and Viktor who both looked terrified, not at Yakov, but at Lilia who was standing behind him glaring. Chris’ coach seemed beyond words, which had the skater looking panicked. JJ was dealing with his coaches yelling at him in a mix of English and French so fast that Yuuri was sure the Canadian wasn’t catching a single word.

For his part Celestino was swearing heavily in Italian, something Yuuri could only recognize from observing the man at World Cup viewing parties the previous summer. Celestino finally stopped and sighed, “Honestly, what were you thinking, Yuuri? I expect these types of things from Minako, not you.”

Yuuri thought about pointing out that he was a lot younger than Minako and had more of an excuse for impulsive behavior, but decided against it. “Honestly? I was thinking I wanted to punch him. He basically insulted everyone up there, and they’re all my friends. I don’t care if he wants to take a dig at me, but I won’t let him say things about JJ, Chris, Yurio, or Viktor.”

The room grew silent as the others all watched him.

“I know I shouldn’t have done that. I really started the whole thing, but everyone here works so hard, and for him to call what all of you do just tricks and gimmicks, to reduce your hard work down to a haircut, it’s an insult and I won’t let him get away with it.” He turned towards Celestino; “Don’t worry, I was planning to practice tonight so don’t think for a second I plan to just sit around and laugh about this all night. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that piece of garbage gets beat so badly tomorrow he retires.”

He paused and turned to the room, deciding it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. “I’ve already asked Coach Yakov for his help, but I’d like to invite all of the coaches here as well. I want to show you my program and get any feedback you’re willing to give me. I know its poor strategy to show my competition my program, but Viktor’s seen it hundreds of times so really it’s only fair.”

Celestino stared at him, “You want to have everyone go to the rink and work on their programs together?”

Yuuri smiled up innocently at his coach, “Why not? We already know Chris has a Lutz, and I bet JJ does too. Both of their coaches could give me some useful advice, and I’m sure all of them wouldn’t mind your take on how their skaters are looking. It can only help us to have some extra eyes to help us just be a little bit better before tomorrow.”

“Yuuri,” Mrs. Leroy looked at him with concern, “I certainly don’t mind, but don’t you all need rest?”

“We don’t have to be to the rink till 3pm,” Viktor piped up, “and it’s not even that late. The girls still have to skate tonight. At the very worst we can sleep all day to make up for it.”

The others skaters all nodded.

“Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing what Yuuri has planned,” JJ shrugged, “then I won’t be surprised when it happens tomorrow and let it throw me.”

“Agreed,” Chris smiled, “not to mention the little tiger. The audacity of switching divisions mid-year, he must have something big up his sleeves.”

Yurio smirked, “I’ll leave all you old men in the dust.”

Several coached snickered and Celestino sighed.

“Alright, but you all need a decent meal first.”

“Oh don’t worry about that,” a voice spoke up from the back as Jo suddenly came around the corner with Otabek close behind her. “Seung-gil happened to find the best Korean restaurant in town and they’ve already agreed to cater us a big dinner. We all figured Yuuri and Viktor would want to relax at the hotel so we set it up, but we can move the location to your rink easy enough.”

“Classmates?” Celestino asked.

Yuuri nodded while Yurio practically skipped over to Otabek calling “Beka!” as he went.

“Otabek’s my cousin too,” Viktor supplied as Otabek greeted Yurio with a soft kiss, “and also apparently Yurio’s boyfriend! Nice upgrade, Beks.”

Otabek nodded and Yakov muttered in Russian.

“Now now, Yakov. You’re very blessed to have skaters like us. Otabek and Yuuri are perfect gentlemen. You really should be more worried about Mila.”

“Why?” Yakov suddenly looked suspicious.

“Yuuri and I are both competing tomorrow so we’ll be sure to eat healthy foods and get a good night’s sleep, and Otabek has been the one helping Yuuri and I with our training all year, so he’ll make sure Yurio takes care of himself; but Mila is rooming with a bunch of classmates.”

“That is true,” Jo concurred. “I did hear Phichit say the girls were planning to join him for pizza and a King and the Skater marathon tonight. I’m sure Mila would want to tag along. You could come too since you’re one of the girls, Yuuri.”

Without a word Yakov stormed out towards the skaters’ area where Mila was getting warmed up, complaining as he went about teenagers being a curse no person deserved to endure.

“Absolutely not, Yuuri,” Celestino glowered. “I know for a fact when Phichit suggests a King and the Skater marathon it means he wants to watch both films with _and_ without the commentary.”

“It’s just not the same if you watch _just_ the commentary,” Yuuri responded cheekily with a shrug.

Viktor simply whined, “Why aren’t I one of the girls?”

 

The evening skate was productive, with all of the coaches glaring at Celestino for keeping such a hidden gem a secret for so long, and everyone swooning over the beauty that was Viktor’s program. JJ and Chris both showed off their new Quads. Yuuri kept his held back, not because it was a secret, in all honesty, but because his legs felt like jello after Natalie Leroy had him run one of his step sequences no less than 12 times, and then Lilia had him run the same sequence with her off the ice until his posture was absolutely perfect.

They both agreed that Minako had done a good job on training him over the years and seemed to be enjoying torturing him just as much as she always did.

Viktor had apparently been in contact with many more people than just their classmates about his Exhibition as well, with many of the skaters coming up to talk to him about it. Viktor was very hush hush about how it would all work, which was only partially because it wasn’t finished yet. He’d told Yuuri that morning the whole thing was evolving in his head by the day, and he wouldn’t know the final look until he performed it.

Yakov had been delayed in coming since Mila still had her skate, but by the time he got there he was impressed with Viktor’s most troublesome section, which seemed to blossom under Chris’ coach’s guidance. Yakov himself set about barking at JJ about being smarter with his jump compositions.

His friends had indeed come through too, all of them arriving with huge platters of vegetables and bulgogi. There were fried foods as well that Yuuri eyed hungrily, but Minako told him he could only eat them if he agreed to some more conditioning training with her that night. He happily abstained from anything more than the chicken and veg after that.

Yuuri's family and Alexei had tagged along to help serve the food, his mother had even brought aprons from home and Alexei was currently wearing one of them as he handed out heaping plates of brisket to some of the coaches. It had been interesting when their parents had met earlier in the week. Alexei must have been under the impression Yuuri's parents were like Minako because he had seemed quite nervous before hand, but had instantly warmed under Hiroko’s kindness and Toshiya’s favorite sake.

They'd had to help Alexei back to the hotel that night with Viktor lamenting that his father gave Russians a bad name. According to Yuuri's father, you didn't really know a man until you got drunk with him and then shared a hangover together in the morning. By that measure they were best friends now, and watching them serve food together, Yuuri could almost believe it. There was an ease to their interactions that you wouldn't expect of two families that had only just met.

“Where did you even manage to get such good Korean food?” Yuuri asked Seung-gil as they all relaxed after the meal, letting the food settle before the skaters carried on with their training for another couple of hours until bed. Yuuri was tired but loved having the mix of Muggles and wizards surrounding him.

“Korea,” Seung-gil replied simply, making Yurio choke on his glass of water.

All of the skaters worked for a bit longer after that, but most of the teams seemed content to call it a night after dinner and soon only the Russians and Yuuri were left.

“What did you want me to look at, Katsuki?” Yakov asked. “Am I finally going to see your secret Quad that I told you to work on months ago?” There was a hint of a smile in his voice.

Celestino and Yuuri both laughed and Yuuri started to skate around the ice. Yurio and Georgi were watching closely. Yurio knew about the jump but had never actually seen it; he’d been around earlier in the week while Yuuri had practiced it a few times, but he was so caught up in his own practice he hadn’t noticed.

Yuuri sped up, letting his breaths reach a nice rhythm before jumping high into the air and spinning incredibly fast. He came down smoothly but wobbled the landing a bit. It wouldn't have been much of a deduction, but he'd still prefer if it was landed perfectly.

He looked over at Yakov and Celestino who were both looking on thoughtfully. “Again,” Yakov barked, and Yuuri did it, again and again and again until his body and mind were too tired to function but his landings were clean.

“Yakov likes to drill everything through repetition,” Viktor explained as they road up the elevator to their hotel room. “It can be harsh, but it works.”

“Minako's the same way. Celestino doesn't usually like to push me this far, but it's nothing I'm not used to.”

Viktor nodded, understanding Minako's methods well. Both of them were relieved to finally slip under the covers after such a long day. Imara had volunteered to watch Vicchan and Makka for the night since Yuuri and Viktor both wanted to sleep late so they didn't even have to worry about getting up to feed the poodles.

“Thank you for standing up for me,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri looked up at him. “It was no problem. I didn’t overstep, did I?”

Viktor shook his head. “I didn’t know what to say. I really don’t care what he thinks of me, he’s not worth my time, but insulting my skating like that. He knows how hard I work. Despite how it ended, we actually were fairly close before everything went bad. He was always impressed by how much I practiced on top of school.”

“He’s not wrong. You’re incredible.”

Viktor smiled, “So are you. Ah,” Viktor flopped back on the covers, “the way you just slammed your legs on that table. So sexy. I love it when you get all Eros like that. Someday when you’re older I’m totally making you a program based on that.”

“What, the jealous boyfriend who behaves impulsively?”

“More like the gorgeous boyfriend who seduces his hopelessly smitten, yet strikingly beautiful girlfriend.”

“I think I make a better girl than you, Vitya.”

“Why can’t I be the girl?!”

They devolved into giggles and kisses, and a few lingering soft touches before both agreeing it was time to sleep.

“I’m so in love with you, Vitya; tomorrow I’m going to show the world. I hope you won’t mind if I break your World Record.”

Viktor laughed softly, “Only if you promise to beat that idiot’s SP record next season.”

Yuuri kissed him one last time, “Of course, but only if you don’t first.”

Viktor giggled, snuggling in closer, “We’re really lucky aren’t we? Our friends are amazing.”

Yuuri hummed happily in agreement, “We really are.”

 

The morning was as relaxing as any morning could be when a half of your friends were feeling the tension of expectations looming ever larger. Yuuri joined Otabek and Makka on a long, late morning run, while Viktor stuck to a light jog at the park after walking there with his father and Vicchan. Yuuri came back to find the girls styling Viktor’s hair and painting his finger nails. Mila was beside him receiving similar treatment.

Minako brought in some food for Yuuri to pick at for lunch, not feeling particularly hungry with his nerves swirling in his gut. Oda eventually came up to the room and helped Yuuri work through the worse of it while Viktor gently combed and gelled his hair.

“You’ll be fine, Yuuri,” Oda reassured.

“But I’m fifth! What if I screw up? Everyone’s got so many expectations, and the press conference!”

Oda laughed, “Yuuri. I’m the number 1 skater in Japan and some new kid just outscored me in the Short Programs. No one is expecting you to so much as beat me, let alone the rest of these monsters. Let that fuel you. You seem the competitive type, so go out there and show them all that they’ve been underestimating you. Go show Durand what happens to anyone who messes with Viktor. Think of it like a battle for Viktor’s honor.”

Yuuri gulped, looking up at his boyfriend who smiled. “Frankly I can look after myself, but I do like the idea of you silencing my critics with your skating before I have to go out there. It’ll be a weight off my shoulders.”

Yuuri thought about that; skating not just for Viktor, but to clear the way for him, that sounded nice. He nodded, clenching his jaw a bit. “Ok, I’ll do it. But I’m still going to beat you both.”

Viktor chuckled and Oda smiled. “We’ll see about that kid.”

They grabbed their belongings and met up with a large group of other skaters to catch the shuttles over to the venue. People were already whispering that Killian had taken a cab rather than be surrounded by a group of people who all hated his guts right now. Yuuri was approached at least a dozen times by other skaters asking for hints to his program that night.

“Yuuri, I’m curious about something,” Chris commented as they sat together on the short bus ride. “You mentioned that you know from experience that pole dancing can help your form; I take it that means you’ve practiced it some?”

Yuuri blushed and Viktor answered for him, “He has! Sara and Minako sent me pictures! But I still haven’t seen it myself.” He pouted a bit and Chris laughed.

“We’ll have to practice together sometime, Yuuri. A pair’s routine would be very fun, don’t you think? We could really test those fine legs of yours.”

Yuuri groaned and buried his face in his hands as Viktor sing-songed, “Teach me! Teach me!”

They checked in for the day before the entirety of the top six, minus Killian of course, retreated to the back halls to warm-up in peace, taking turns to use the locker rooms to change once the earlier competitors had had some time. It was unlikely that most of the first group would change their placements much and none of them wanted to make any of the others feel pressured or looked down upon. There would be time for encouragements after the medals were awarded.

Yuuri did stop by the skaters’ area on his way to change to greet Emil. They hadn’t really had a chance to talk the day before with all of the chaos of the first day. Emil had only just made it to the second day, but he was no less happy just to be there, and Yuuri was impressed with how much his friend had improved since the previous summer.

He made his way into the locker room, popping his joints as he went. Now that he was here he felt calmer, especially since Viktor had started a small dance party with the other skaters to loosen everyone up after they first arrived. It had been sheer silliness, but doing a few swing dance moves with his boyfriend was an entirely effective way of clearing away at least some of his nerves.

It was nice having such a friendly atmosphere around them, though he knew that it would lessen the closer time came for each of them to perform.

A locker closing drew his attention as he entered the room and found himself face to face with a shirtless Killian Durand who looked furious at the sight of him. Killian scoffed, “You mind? I’m changing. It's bad enough your boyfriend pitted me against the skating community, I don't need you perving at me right before a competition too.” He continued to speak, switching to French; obviously aware Yuuri didn’t speak it.

Except Yuuri did understand those words, at least well enough to know he was being insulted with a variety of racial and homophobic slurs; he’d talked to Minako about it after the Grand Prix and decided he’d rather know what was being said about him. Minako’s French was rusty, but sufficient enough for him to figure out Durand’s meaning.

“You know, you keep talking like you actually know what I look like naked and its getting rather old. Almost as old as your jokes about my relationship with Viktor, considering you chased after him for nearly a year.” He set his bag down, stalking closer and looked Killian in the eye. He looked a bit taken aback at Yuuri’s understanding.

“I get that you’re jealous of me. I would be too if our positions were reversed, but you did this to yourself. Not me. Doing this again and again is only hurting you, because each time you pull these stunts Viktor only gets stronger and loves me more.

“I’ve been in love with him since I was 11 years old, and that’s not going to change because you choose to keep hurling those words at me. At least man up and say them in a language we both understand.”

He stepped back out of the man’s personal space a bit. “I’ll be making myself clear about Viktor on the ice. I don’t care what you pull; I will prove my love for him can’t be defeated by anyone, let alone you. So watch me Killian, watch me and know you can never compare.

“And then, watch Viktor, because he isn’t the same person he was when you knew him. He’s different now, and he did it on his own. I’m just happy that he lets me share his life with him, because he’s going to be a living legend, and even if I never beat him, I will still love him, and love to skate with him.”

He turned and retrieved his bag, heading for the door, planning to wait to change for a bit longer in order to get away from this uncomfortable situation. He placed his hand on the door and looked back, “Oh, and if you call me those things again I’ll be lodging a formal complaint with the ISU.” With a quick tug he was out the door and stalked down the hall until he spotted Viktor.

“Yuuri, I thought you were chang…”

Yuuri grabbed Viktor and pulled him into a hard kiss, his mind appreciating the way Viktor’s body instantly relaxed into it with a smile curving on his lips as Yuuri thoroughly claimed them.

Yuuri finally released him and stared deep into Viktor’s eyes, speaking softly so that only they could hear even though many eyes were now on them. “I love you, Vitya, and after today, everyone will know how much. I promise you, no one will ever hurt you again.”

Viktor looked a little surprised but leaned back ever so slightly with a smile on his face, “Ok, Yuuri, I look forward to kissing Gold tonight.”

Yuuri smiled, his heart pounding as he whispered, “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Standings after the Short Programs:
> 
> 1\. Killian Durand - 110.95
> 
> 2\. Viktor Nikiforov - 109.67
> 
> 3\. JJ Leroy - 104.76
> 
> 4\. Yuri Plisetsky - 102.14
> 
> 5\. Yuuri Katsuki - 101.90
> 
> 6\. Christophe Giacometti - 100.59
> 
> 7\. One of the Americans - 98.74
> 
> 8\. Kaito Oda - 97.13
> 
> 9\. Cao Bin
> 
> 12\. Georgi Popovich
> 
> 20\. Emil Nekola
> 
>  
> 
> Here we go everyone! The final showdown! What will our FINAL standings be? I'd love to know your predictions because it could be ANYONE'S game at this point! Ok, it won't be the American. Sorry 'Murica dude, I was lazy and never named you. Maybe I should just call him Joe Murica. Also here's their [hotel](http://www.legermainhotels.com/en/calgary/bedrooms/6/the-apartment-suite). Originally I thought they'd be there more but they've just been too busy! Viktor got them a nice room once again, lol.
> 
> Yurio is still skating Agape, but because Viktor is younger it was choreographed more by Lilia and Yakov, with only a bit of input from Viktor. It's theme changed a bit as well simply because things are different in his life because Viktor is more of a friend/big brother than this idol he looks up to. It's similar, but a big different.
> 
> Killian as usual is a piece of trash. He basically has a weakness in his skating and isn't brave enough to fix it, so he puts others down. He's also in the closet with his sexuality, and Viktor cutting his hair, and now everyone knowing they had less than consensual sex makes him feel outed. He's basically a really insecure person, and Yuuri is having none of his shit anymore. Hell yeah!
> 
> As you may notice I upped the chapter count by 1. Basically I always intended for their to be an epilogue, but it just can't fit within chapter 40 anymore, so it's getting it's own chapter. My hope is it'll post within a day of Chapter 40 to wrap things up. I am SO excited for finishing this journey up with you guys. I predict the next chapter will be out on August 5th, but watch my tumblr for updates (links below).
> 
> I will be dropping a preview/summary of my next fic on tumblr sometime in the next week. Queens will still update (I know I've neglected it) as soon as I finish this monster off. I'm going to take a short break after this fic is done, but I'll be back and I hope you'll keep following me and check my next AU out!
> 
> A huge thank you to all of you who've req'd me to that various fic blogs! This fic got added to [the master list](http://victuurificrec.tumblr.com/post/157032627393/hello-i-love-your-blog-so-muchh-it-gives-me-life) last week and I was SO excited. You guys are the best. I really appreciate you guys sharing and liking this fic. It'd be awesome if we could hit 1k kudos by the end. :) 
> 
> Drop a comment with your predictions! I'd love to see who you guys think will be taking home the gold! I have a few other tricks up my sleeve that will all be revealed next chapter! See you then.
> 
>  


	40. History Makers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, the final showdown. Quick note: if you didn't read [Aria](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11302329), first of all you should, but you should also know that Yuuri can make more than music with his special magic.
> 
> Music:  
> [Yuuri Free](https://youtu.be/3nkOvZaklNE)  
> [Viktor Free](https://youtu.be/wZZ7Q6fvqvI)
> 
> There will be one more song used near the end of the chapter, so when you see and underlined link, give it a click to listen along while you read. Enjoy!

Yuuri didn’t remember much of that day, at least not until his warm-up time came. He had wanted to watch his friends in the earlier group, but everything seemed to have narrowed down more and more the closer his skate came.

Soon the only things that could permeate his mind were Viktor’s hand and Vicchan’s soft curls. Viktor hadn’t left his side since his confrontation with Killian, neither interested in being apart that day. The only person who bothered to get between them was Yurio who still insisted Yuuri was the only one who could keep up with him as they stretched.

Yuuri had a feeling it just meant the younger skater was nervous and wanted someone familiar and also quiet by his side. Viktor had a bad habit of word vomiting close to competition, so he was mostly chatting with Chris from beside Yuuri while they all warmed-up. JJ seemed to prefer to talk to his parents, but after a while Yuuri noticed him pacing a bit and had to force the Canadian to sit with them all and focus on breathing while they all finished their warm-ups. The breathing helped a bit, but Makkachin deciding to tackle him was the most effective, sending JJ into a fit of laughter as the dog licked his face in earnest. Viktor’s camera app was shooting at high speed as he captured the adorable moment.

Yuuri only saw Killian once, the older man simply avoiding all eye contact as he stomped by on his way to the ice just a little earlier than the others. Yuuri couldn’t help but noticed something off as he went by.

“What is it?” Viktor asked quietly in his ear when he noticed Yuuri watching.

“I don’t know, something just seems off. I can’t put my finger on it.”

Viktor shrugged, “Maybe that stick shoved up his ass is bothering him.”

Yuuri elbowed Viktor playfully and went back to his warm-up, though the time was mostly focused on cuddling with Vicchan since Yakov was soon alerting them all that it was time to head out.

They moved as a group, Viktor taking Yuuri’s hand as they went out to the rink, being greeted by the roar of the crowd as the final skater of the previous group finished his skate and flowers rained down from above.

“Yuuri! Viktor!” They looked up to see Phichit, Leo, and Guang Hong all waving down from above. Several of their other friends were further up in the stands all waving flags and banners.

“Who told them about ‘Step on me Katsuki?’”, Yuuri grumbled under his breath as he waved back.

Viktor giggled but didn’t respond as they headed out towards the ice.

Celestino had instructed Yuuri to keep to triples until the end of his warm-up, focusing more on stretching his legs and making sure he felt comfortable on the ice. He was only to do Quads if everything else felt good. A part of him grumbled at that, but he relented to the glare of warning Minako had sent him over Celestino’s shoulder.

He focused on making sure everything felt stable and steady, rather than push his legs too hard just yet he let things flow naturally. Until he finally got the nod from Celestino. He jumped into a Quad Flip as he passed by Viktor, their eyes meeting for a moment sharing a quick wink.

He skated back to Celestino to retrieve a drink and any last instructions.

“You look good today, Yuuri.” His coach assured him. Yuuri nodded and looked at the others, listening with only half attention while Celestino spoke. His eyes found Killian again and the same wrongness caught his eye again, but he couldn’t nail it down until he watched the French skater jump.

Celestino was mid-sentence when Yuuri skated off, leaving a confused Celestino in his wake.

“You’re injured,” Yuuri whispered, sliding up to Killian carefully, making sure not to draw too much attention. He could feel the others watching him.

Killian’s jaw tightened. “It’s none of your business.”

“Maybe not, but I don’t want to see good skaters go down for stupidity. You should lower your jumps today.”

Killian glared, “What, so you’ll have an easier time?”

“No, so you can come back and have a chance next year. I’ve already told you, I’ll be beating you. You can’t avoid that. I know your limits and I know you can’t beat me today. You’ll see after I skate. You should be smart and know a loss when it’s presented to you. Any other day I’d tell you not to go easy on me, but not at the cost of your body.”

Killian just skated off and Yuuri felt Viktor skate up behind him. “What was that about?”

Yuuri just shook his head. “I’ll tell you after. I just hope he listens to me.”

Viktor’s forehead creased but he accepted Yuuri’s words and went back to his own warm-up. They only had seconds left and Yuuri really wanted to get the feel of the Axel. He quickly signaled to the others before taking off into a Triple Axel. The height was perfect. He’d lead with the Triple, and then slot the Quad right at the beginning of the second half. At least that was the plan, things might change once he was on the ice.

He headed for the exit as the warm-up ended, slipping on his guards when he heard his name called. He looked up to find Alexei standing with an older man, only they weren’t focused on him, but Yurio instead.

“Grandpa!” Yurio was off like a rocket, bounding towards the stands where the old man stood. They couldn’t hug but Yurio reached for his Grandfather’s hand, their fingers just touching as the spoke quickly in Russian.

“Dad found out last night that Yurio didn’t have any family here and decided to see if he could fix that,” Viktor whispered as they watched.

“That was really nice of him.”

Viktor nodded and the two of them headed back into the warm room. Yuuri would be back out in about 4 minutes, but it was important to keep his body warm. He had planned to bounce in place a bit but found himself wrapped up in Viktor’s arms.

“Can I wear your jacket while you skate?” Viktor asked. “I need to stay warm if I’m going to watch you.”

Yuuri felt himself blush and nodded. “Celestino already knows to pull me from the interviews in time for me to watch you.”

“Good, I’d be mad if you missed it.”

Yuuri chuckled, “This is the hardest part of competing, I can’t watch all my favorite skaters.

Viktor hummed, “Maybe we should have a viewing party tonight.”

Yuuri nodded. He could see Chris skating on the monitors, and based on the Quad Lutz he just nailed, he was nearing the second half of his program. Yuuri would need to head out soon.

“Oi, Katsudon.” Yuuri looked up as Yurio approached him. “Are you going to watch my performance?”

Yuuri nodded. “I’ll take off my skates rink side and then Minako will have the live stream up for me.”

Yurio nodded, “Good. I would hate for you to miss the performance that’ll beat you.” His face was full of confidence, but Yuuri could hear the silent request behind his words that simply asked, ‘Please watch.’

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Yuuri assured him.

With a nod from Celestino, he and Viktor made their way to the ice, both poodles and Minako behind them. Chris was just finishing as they stepped out and it seemed he’d done well, though a slight crease in his forehead made Yuuri aware that the other skater probably thought he could do better.

“You’re different today, zoloste,” Viktor said softly as Yuuri pulled his jacket off before slipping it around Viktor’s shoulders with a slight flush. “I take it you’re ready?”

Yuuri took a deep breath. “I don’t like being under estimated, but as your biggest fan, I hate people under estimating you even more.”

Viktor smirked, “Ah so as my biggest fan you’ll be excited if I watch you.”

Yuuri laughed softly, “Of course. But as your boyfriend I’ll be sad if I don’t get a good luck kiss.”

“Greedy,” Viktor whispered as he kissed him.

Celestino cleared his throat and Yuuri stepped onto the ice, listening closely to his coach’s last instructions as Chris’ score was read. Yuuri spared it only enough of a glance to see the Swiss skater was now in first, but that his score wasn’t a personal best.

Viktor’s fingers were warm in his.

“You’re ready,” Celestino said simply. “Make smart choices, and never forget your story. You do that and you’ll win.”

Yuuri nodded and gave his coach a hug, followed by Minako, and finally Viktor.

“Yuuri,” he whispered, “What’s my World Record?”

Yuuri looked at him and without pause answered, “216.41.”

Viktor nodded with a smile. “You’ll need to beat that if you want to challenge me, because I’ll be beating that today, I’ll promise you that.” Viktor winked as he pulled back, making Yuuri laugh.

“Alright, Vitya. Just watch me,” he replied pushing back as the announcer called his name.

Yuuri laughed as he made his way to center ice. Up above he could just barely make out the section of the stands where his friends and family were sitting, and that was more by sound than sight without his glasses. He waved to them before letting his eyes settle on Viktor, waiting at the barrier with his coaches and their dogs. Behind Viktor’s shoulder was Yurio, trying to stay hidden, but watching the ice with eager anticipation. Chris was on a bench changing his skates, and JJ’s head was just visible through the window of the door that led to the skaters’ area. Even Oda it seemed had finished his interviews, because he was standing near the door to the Press area, his eyes smiling.

Family, Yuuri thought to himself, was a lot more than just the people surrounding you when you’re born. It was something that could change, shift, and grow as much as it needed to.

But as he took his place at center ice, he focused only on Viktor, because that’s where his heart was, and right now, he wanted to skate that love more than he’d ever wanted anything before. He took one more breath, and the music started.

It was like everything disappeared, as if he was back at the Ice Castle when he and Viktor were first creating this program. He skates moved with a quiet purpose, his body flowing through every motion as his mind only focused on one thought.

The red chord on his wrist flew along as he moved through his steps, always spiraling back to where Viktor was standing whenever he could.

Triple Axel to start, followed by a camel spin.

The music was in English this time, and while the translation wasn’t perfect, he liked this one better because Viktor could understand the words.

Quad Toe Loop-Double Toe Loop, he was going to need to save his energy. There were 7 Jump sets, 3 of them combos, including his next, a Triple Loop-Triple Lutz-Triple Flip. He nearly didn’t have enough speed for the last one, but he pulled it off, dancing again, his smile catching Viktor’s eyes as he prepared for the second half.

He was supposed to do the Axel first, but his steps were ever so slightly behind, meaning he’d have a fraction of a second less to gain his speed. He’d already gone into one jump a little slow. The second half began and he leapt into a Quad Flip instead.

His eyes caught Celestino’s with confidence, and he could see his coach nod. It was the right choice, not just for the speed, but because of what this said. He’d just switch the Flip and the Axel, meaning the Axel would land right on his favorite line.

He smiled, this was better.

He flew again, into a spin before coming out and gaining speed for another combo, his last one a Triple Axel-Single Loop-Triple Salchow. He pushed his legs harder, every slice exact, his body flowing and calling out across time and distance, tying together the two fates that might never have connected, should never have met. But they had, and now they were bound, and Yuuri wouldn’t let go.

The song built and built, and he jumped into a Quad Salchow just as the music peaked, moving right into a spin before popping up into his last step sequence, moving hard and fast, the song spiraled closer to the end. He pushed his legs as hard as he could, taxing every ounce of power from them. More speed, more control. He could feel the tension in the air, they all knew something was coming, and Yuuri knew that now more than ever he was ready.

He built his speed and locked his eyes with Viktor’s.

_How I hope to spend this life, no all future lives…_

 Yuuri jumped and spun, one, two, three, four and a half times, his skate landing smoothly as the crowd suddenly roared so loud he almost couldn’t hear the music.

_Right here in this world with you._

Tears nearly blinded him as he spun into his final combination spin, his focus point locked on Viktor before he coming to a stop, glad he’d waited to the end for that jump, his jump, because he wasn’t sure he could skate anymore he was so overwhelmed. He reached out his arm, the red string extended, directly towards Viktor who was reaching right back to him. He didn’t need his glasses to know Viktor was crying too.

The crowd was so loud, and yet it all seemed silent as the only thing Yuuri could focus on was the sound of his own heart pounding as he stared at Viktor for several long moments before finally turning to the judges and bowing.

There were flowers and plushies raining down. He carefully skated around waving before noticing someone at the barrier holding something out. He slid over and smiled at the fan who spoke happily in a language he didn’t know as they thrust out a small box full of dog treats.

He couldn’t help but laugh and leaned forward to hug the fan, “Thank you.” The girl looked like she might cry as Yuuri skated off, grabbing a few other gifts before heading towards the place he really wanted to be.

Minako stuck her hands out and he quickly handed her the gifts as he slid quickly off the ice into Viktor’s waiting arms. There was no subtly left for them as they kissed hard, cheers and whistles filling the air around them.

“Beautiful!” Viktor cried. “So beautiful! I love you!”

“I love you too, Vitya. So much. But you need to stop crying or you’ll ruin your make-up.”

“It’s fine, I’ll just look more dramatic.”

Yuuri snorted and kissed Viktor again, before dragging his boyfriend to the Kiss and Cry where Viktor gave him back his coat and their dogs sniffed eagerly at the treats in Minako’s hands.

“I already checked them,” she whispered, “they’re safe.”

Yuuri smiled and he and Viktor each took one and gave them to the excited poodles who both munched away happily.

“This might start a bad trend,” Yuuri giggled, “our boys are going to get fat if they get too many treats.”

“It’s ok,” Viktor cooed as he watched the dogs with glee, “just more to love.”

Yuuri smiled and leaned against Viktor. “Was it good?”

“The best you’ve even done. I couldn’t look away.”

“It was for you, Vitya,” Yuuri whispered.

Viktor smiled and kissed his forehead, “I know. I could feel it.”

The announcers voice rang out and Yuuri squinted his eyes as he stared at the screen, nerves suddenly catching up with him.

He didn’t know who screamed. He didn’t know what sound he made, or Viktor; he didn’t know if Minako had a livestream running, but somewhere, someone nearby screamed clear as day:

“223.2 a World Record! Total score 325.1 just shy of the combined record! Yuuri Katsuki is in first place and has landed the first Quad Axel in history!”

But Yuuri didn’t hear that. Yuuri heard nothing but his own sobs as he clung to Viktor who was whining, “You can’t cry, Yuuri! You told me not to ruin my make-up!”

“I’ll redo it for you, I just can’t help it, Vitya!”

“Katsudon!” He heard called, and he looked up to see Yurio calling him from the ice. He thought Yurio might say something, but instead he just lifted his hand in a thumbs up. Smiling, Yuuri returned the gesture.

“Go finish your warm-ups, Vitya,” Yakov called.

Viktor nodded and kissed Yuuri once more. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Da,” Yuuri said with a wink.

He lowered himself onto a bench as Vicchan came close for a curious sniff, looking for more treats, making Yuuri laugh as he unlaced his skates, watching for Yurio’s first moves.

It was a light and beautiful piece meant to emphasize Yurio’s beauty, his body still young enough to blur the line between male and female seamlessly. Yuuri could have done it a year or so ago, but as he watched he acknowledge that this was something unique to Yurio. The thought made him smile as he made his way to the press area with Celestino, Vicchan and Minako, the livestream held in front of him so he could keep track of Yurio’s progress.

The flashes were his first indication that he’d arrived in the press room, followed closely by the shouts and questions. He looked up and nodded at Minako before stepping forward with Celestino.

“Yuuri, you’ve just broken Viktor’s World Record, how do you feel?”

Yuuri laughed, “Good, I feel good.”

“Was the Quad Axel planned?”

Yuuri looked up at his coach who nodded. “I’ve been training it since I traveled with Viktor to Russia last fall. Coach Yakov felt I was most likely to master the Flip and the Axel next and Coach Celestino started preparing me for it. I’ve been training very hard all year hoping to manage it here. We didn’t schedule it because I’m still inconsistent enough on it that all the conditions have to be right for it to work. Things just worked out at the end and I was able to do it.”

“With that score it seems like you’ll make the podium…”

Yuuri cut that reporter off. “The final group is packed with talent. I won’t be expecting anything until it’s over.”

There was a small shuffle. “What was your inspiration for the program?” a woman asked.

Yuuri smiled. “Viktor. The music is from a movie we saw on our first date. It resonated with us, so when I got the chance to skate for Japan at Four Continents he created the program with me based on those feelings we’d shared. I think of him when I skate it.” He slid his fingers over the red chord at his wrist.

“Yuuri!” Minako called, suddenly putting her phone in front of him and he watch Yurio in the Kiss and Cry. He looked excited.

“How did he do?” he asked Minako softly.

“Well, personal best for sure. He won’t beat you though.”

Her words were confirmed seconds later when his total came in 5 points below Yuuri’s.

“Getting closer,” the reporter who’d asked about the podium said softly, and Yuuri just smiled.

“May I ask another question?” The female reporter piped up.

Yuuri couldn’t help but gratefully smile and nod at her.

“You’ve talked about your anxiety this week, and you’ve brought your dog with you. It seems that helped. A lot of fans are excited watching you skate despite your struggles; do you have any words for them?”

Yuuri stood stunned for a moment before his eyes caught on JJ on the screen, and he remembered that time in Canada last summer. There was no sense of the nerves in the Canadian now, though Yuuri knew they were just beneath the surface.

“I’d tell them that every one of us struggles to some extent, mine is just a bit stronger than the others. It’s difficult, and I let it hold me back for a long time, but they should believe in themselves. Someone gave me a chance, and that inspired me to push for my dreams. Celestino believed in me and became my coach, Viktor became a fan of my skating and encouraged me. Minako-sensei and my family supported me, friends cheered for me, and the entire skating community welcomed me. I have anxiety, but with everyone surrounding me, it doesn’t feel so heavy.”

JJ was on the screen, jumping into a Quad Lutz, a look of happiness on his face that made Yuuri smile. “I’m sorry but I’ll have to cut this short. I want to watch my boyfriend skate,” he said with a shrug and a smile, making a few reporters chuckle.

They stepped away and back towards the ice when Yurio came their way. They paused and looked at each other before identical grins spread across their faces.

“You just had to go and beat Viktor’s Record by that much, didn’t you?”

Yuuri shrugged, “I was lucky.”

Yurio snorted. “Whatever, I’ll beat you next time.”

“I won’t put it past you.”

Yurio grinned and headed towards the press, calling over his shoulder, “My grandpa wants to have dinner with my friends tonight. You’d better be there!”

“Of course.”

Yurio smirked before he and Lilia were all but consumed by the press.

Vicchan bumped his head against Yuuri’s leg and Yuuri nodded, taking his lead from Minako and heading back out to the rink just as JJ was finishing up. Viktor was there of course, stretching his shoulders one last time as he and Yakov spoke, his hand gently scratching right behind Makka’s ear.

He moved up beside Viktor, his boyfriend instantly leaning into him as Yakov spoke, the Russian instructions flowing over Yuuri like a river of sound. It was oddly calming to listen to as JJ neared his final steps of his program. Yuuri could tell it was good, but not his best. With his glasses back on his face he could see a small patch of red on JJ’s palm, indicating he’d touched down at least once.

On any other day you might still win with a touch, but Yuuri knew that only perfection would be enough today. He felt bad for JJ, he knew how hard the other man had worked.

After the music ended and JJ had had his bows he skated over to them. Viktor stepped onto the ice but JJ paused so he and Yuuri could share a ‘very manly hug’ as JJ liked to call it.

“I guess UU-Style wins today,” he whispered.

Yuuri shrugged. “I wouldn’t discount VV-Style.”

JJ cracked a grin, “I suppose so; I’m still rooting for you though.” He bumped Yuuri’s shoulder with his fist. “I’ll see you in the fall, Yuuri. Don’t be a stranger!”

“Send me cookies, JJ!” Viktor called, making JJ laugh again as he approached the Kiss and Cry.

“Focus, Vitya,” Yakov growled.

Viktor pouted, “I am, Yakov. I have my Yuuri here, that’s all the focus I need.”

Yuuri blushed and Yakov rolled his eyes. “Will you do the Loop?” Yakov continued.

Viktor shrugged, “Do I need to?”

Yakov’s eyebrow raised but before he could speak Viktor nodded. “As long as nothing goes wrong I will. I’d rather prove myself without using it, but I’m not going to risk losing over pride.”

Yakov made a noise in his throat but Yuuri spoke first. “It’s not prideful to show your talent, Vitya. You work harder than any skater, even me. You’ve earned everything you have.”

“Exactly,” Yakov grunted. “Listen to Katsuki, he’s smarter than you.”

Yuuri snickered and Viktor feigned hurt as JJ’s scores were announced. Yuuri couldn’t really look at the scoreboard, it made him nervous.

“He’s between Yurio and Chris,” Viktor said softly. Yuuri nodded, wondering why he was more nervous now than when it wasn’t his turn to skate. “Look at me, zoloste,” Viktor whispered.

Yuuri looked up, right into Viktor’s eyes. He was smiling in a way that was so honest and open Yuuri felt himself gasp.

“I am a completely different person than I was a year ago, and it’s in part because of you. I’m going to skate for you today, so there’s no way I can lose. Watch me because I’m going to show you what you mean to me.”

Yuuri nodded, a small trickle of a tear leaking from his eye as Viktor leaned in and kissed it away.

“I love you, Vitya.”

Viktor skated away, mouthing ‘I love you too,’ as he went, waving and smiling up at the crowd. Yuuri could feel Makka and Vicchan pressing against him, but he could barely even blink, let alone pull his eyes from the ice and from Viktor.

Viktor moved to center ice, took a breath, and transformed in front of their eyes. In some of his first showings of this program he always looked like that broken boy from the end of his short program, but today he was different.

He was no longer that boy, but the man, still carrying the weight that had crushed the small boy. He had grown, but he had never escaped his pain.

The music started, and Yuuri could see in Viktor’s every movement the weight that he struggled against. There was hurt and torment in his eyes, and as he moved, after every jump or spin, when he fought and struggled, something else would weigh him back down. His Quad Flip was early in the program, and as he moved Yuuri could practically see him throw off the weights, only to be instantly hit with them and more the moment his blades touched down.

By the time he reached the halfway point he looked like he may never stand properly again.

But then something called to him and Viktor looked up, and for the first time all program hope filled his eyes and he raced forward. Raced through step sequences, and spun with vigor, weights flying off him. He dashed forward, constantly moving, moving towards that thing, pushing aside the past and the hurt.

No one helped him, he was on his own out there, pushing off the weights, outrunning the pain that tried to stop him. Running, running, running towards his hope, his light. The final minute started as the music drove into a flurry of strings and Viktor leapt into the Quad Loop, causing a roar from the audience. But he didn’t even pause, diving straight into a furious step sequence that ended in a death drop with sit spin. Instantly he was back up, spinning and twirling, the weights gone now as he hurtled forward, eyes locking on Yuuri’s before he jumped – a Quad Flip-Trip Axel combo.

And Yuuri understood. That was for them. Viktor’s jump and Yuuri’s together. He instantly resolved to reverse the combo next season so they could always call out to each other.

The jump had barely landed and Viktor was spinning hard and fast, faster than he should be able to after losing so much speed on a combination jump, but that was Viktor, always breaking the rules.

The music ended abruptly and Viktor’s spin ended at precisely the same time. How he’d stopped so fast even Yuuri couldn’t understand, but he knew he had viewed perfection. He couldn’t help but scream and cry with joy, cheering hard for Viktor. He knew it would be close, and there was a solid chance he would lose, but he didn’t care, because Viktor had won. He’s won so much more than a skating competition. That skate was his story, and as he and Yuuri stared at each other from across the ice Yuuri knew he’d won too.

Medals didn’t matter. Only this.

Viktor circled the ice, bowing and waving quickly as he could without being rude. So many fans were calling out to him and, just as Yuuri had, he stopped to thank a few, before spinning and sprinting to Yuuri, his gifts nearly getting crushed as they came together, crying and hugging, too far gone for words.

“I might have taken your Gold, zoloste.”

“Take it!” Yuuri sobbed. “It’s yours. All of me, everything is yours.”

Viktor nodded. “Take it back next season, ok?”

Yuuri nodded back, barely able to speak. “I will, I promise. And then you take it again.”

“Yes, and then you again and on and on. Never stop skating with me, Yuuri.”

“Always, Vitya.” Yuuri promised.

They finally pulled back only for Viktor to find himself embraced by Lilia and Yakov who looked like proud parents as the hugged their son, speaking soft Russian words in his ears that were renewing the tears in his eyes.

They finally made it to the Kiss and Cry, only for Alexei to pounce on Viktor, somehow managing to sneak down from the stands. He was crying, and Yuuri could hear Viktor whispering “Papa” over and over. Alexei sat up and turned, pulling Yuuri into the hug too.

“You’re both my sons now, and I have never been so proud. Of both of you.” He grabbed Yuuri’s head and looked him in the eyes, “Take care of my son for me?”

Yuuri nodded and let himself be hugged. He’d had his family by his side, loving him all his life, but this, this was something different, something he never knew he needed – to be accepted as a wizard and as a man into a family. After a lifetime of rejection by so many, this family had welcomed him in just as lovingly as his own. The reality of that hit him, and overwhelmed him.

The announcers voice rang out and they all broke apart, tears staining all of their faces, all probably looking a mess and none of them caring.

Makka and Vicchan were the first to react, somehow knowing in their doggy ways that this was a moment for celebration. It took Yuuri a bit longer, Alexei even longer than that.

Viktor looked like he might be stunned as the stadium exploded around them and the screens read:

**1             Viktor Nikiforov               220.48                   Total 330.43WR**

Viktor buried his face in his hands and fell into Yuuri. Cameras were focused on them and Yuuri knew they wanted to see if he’d be mad, and it made him smile even bigger than when he’d gotten his record.

Of course he wasn’t mad. Viktor had earned this. I was just Yuuri’s first season, and no matter what he would go home with a medal, from Worlds. What was there to be sad about?

He kissed the top of Viktor’s head. “You are so amazing, Vitya.”

Viktor looked up. “Thank you, Yuuri. Not for that, I mean, for being here, for being you. I…” he stammered, seeming unable to continue.

Yuuri leaned in and kissed him. “I know. I wouldn’t be here without you too. I’m so lucky to have you.”

Viktor smiled and they finally stood. The crowd was quiet now and they both realized why. The last skater had yet to perform.

“I’ll help you with your skates,” Yuuri whispered as they sat on the bench, quickly unlacing Viktor’s skates and sliding his feet into trainers as Killian took to the ice. Viktor quickly grabbed Yuuri’s hand. They were both riding the high of Viktor’s scores; for a moment they had forgotten the last skater.

Killian circled the ice, moving towards the middle to take his place, but just for a moment he looked over at Viktor and Yuuri, his eyes locking on their hands. His face flashed with anger and just a hint of something else.

“How painful it must be to hate a part of yourself so much,” Viktor whispered as the tinkling first notes played and Killian began to skate.

The program wasn’t like it had been at Europeans. There was no sorrow, no confusion. The silent plead was all but gone. Yuuri could feel the desperation and fury in Killian’s every movement, and maybe it would have been enough.

But as he came out of his second spin sequence he stumbled. And then, moments later, a Quad Salchow was underrotated.

“Don’t do it,” Yuuri quietly begged, seeing the frustration growing in Killian’s whole body.

But he did. He launched into a Quad Loop that looked off from the start.

Viktor gasped as Killian came down hard. He stood back up, but it was obvious he was hurt. A shuffling behind them drew Yuuri’s glance as Chris, JJ and Yurio all stepped up behind them.

Killian continued, but the harder he pushed, the less his legs would give him. Jump after jump faltered, step after step looked sloppy, until the only thing that was left was the performance, which rather than seeming graceful and beautiful, just looked torn.

When it ended, there was silence for several second before the audience reacted. Killian stood on the ice looking defeated and Yuuri couldn’t find it within himself to hate the man. He wanted to, after everything he’d done he wanted so badly to hate this person; but as he saw the broken and hurting man before him, he just couldn’t find it within him to summon even an ounce of hatred.

Killian skated slowly to the side, not even bowing or waving. The moment he stepped off the ice his legs crumpled, and his coach had to help him to the Kiss and Cry where the medical staff looked after him.

The other skaters just looked on, none of them knowing what to say.

“We’ll be good winners,” Viktor said softly. “We’ll be happy, but we offer him our support.”

The others nodded, already cameras were coming to them, ready to talk to Viktor and get his reaction to winning his second Worlds. Viktor stood, smiled and made his way towards the Kiss and Cry. There was a moment of unease as Killian looked up at him, but Viktor just stuck out his hand and Killian slowly reached out and took it, shaking it gently.

Viktor offered him a small smile before walking away, back to the others.

Yakov and Celestino joined them, both looking excited, and slowly the realization dawned on Yuuri.

Yurio made a strangled sound of joy as he was suddenly hugged by Yakov, and Yuuri was pulled until Celestino’s arms as everything came to life. The announcers voice rang out and the crowd roared as the final standings were made official.

All Yuuri could do was stare as a 2 stood by his name.

He didn’t remember much in the next few minutes. There were a lot of cheers, a lot of flashes, but eventually one sight pulled him back, and that was Viktor standing in front of him, smiling that perfect heart shaped smile.

“We did it, Vitya,” he whispered.

“We did, Yuuri.”

 

After the press conferences and medals, countless pictures and about a dozen of sponsor meetings, they made their way to a quiet dinner, just Yuuri, Viktor, Yurio and their families. Their friends were having a big party and cheering on Mila as she competed that night (eventually taking a silver of her own, not to mention landing her Quad). For the medal winners, all three just wanted a moment of quiet. Even Mari had stayed behind, and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile as his mother walked arm and arm with Viktor as they made their way along quiet street to a small restaurant where Alexei had rented out a private room.

Nikola didn’t speak much English, so Alexei was playing translator, happily introducing the man to Yuuri’s father as they walked.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Yurio said softly. “I’ve won Junior titles, but this is different.”

Yuuri nodded, “It don’t think it’s sunk in yet for me.”

Yurio nodded in agreement. “Well if the press bugs you, or the sponsors are stressing you out and you need to vent, you have my number.”

Yuuri chuckled, “Thanks, same for you. And if you need a ‘ride’ to visit Otabek, let me know.”

Yurio blushed but didn’t argue. They entered the restaurant and sat down to what turned out to be one of the best meals Yuuri had ever eaten. The quaint restaurant specialized in French cuisine and while Yuuri wasn’t familiar with it, Alexei seemed to know the perfect things to order, filling the table with an assortment of delicious treats.

By the time dessert was served, Viktor and Yurio’s heads were lulling on Yuuri’s shoulders and his mother had wormed her way into the kitchen to ask the chef for his technique to create such a light mousse.

Alexei had cleverly done some silent spell work, allowing for easy translation for all of them. Yuuri could hear his father speaking Japanese and Nikola speaking Russian, but he understood the words with ease. Nikola seemed none the wiser, and Yuuri was sure a small amount of memory modification was going on, but he was glad for it. Magic was pretty wonderful at times like this.

“It’s wonderful for you to have traveled so far for Yurio’s sake,” Toshiya mentioned, smiling kindly at the older man.

“An ocean isn't too far to travel for my grandson.” Nikola said simply. “I’m guessing you’d agree?” he smiled and nodded towards Yuuri who was poking the Russian teens trying to regain use of his limbs.

Yurio grumbled and leaned the other way, hugging his grandfather around the middle in an innocent way that made the old man’s eyes swim with affection.

“I used to have a niece.” Nikola said softly, though everyone at the table paid attention. “She was a precious girl who loved to dance, but she was always a bit odd. Her parents were...” he trailed off, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Anyways, things got hard and they decided to remove the girl. I offered to take her in, but some wealthy family took her in and I didn't argue it. I knew they could provide her with a better life than I could. Help her more than I could.”

“I never saw her again, but I never forgot her. When my own daughter started having her problems, I knew I couldn’t let Yurochka down like I did that girl. I just couldn't stand the thought of losing anymore family. I'm so grateful for what skating has given him. It's a life I never could, again, but at least this time I get to keep my family together. Family is important after all.”

Alexei nodded, “I couldn't agree more.”

Nikolai patted the other man’s arm, “I saw Viktor's interview, I'm sorry for your loss. Losing a spouse is very hard.”

Alexei agreed, thanking Nikola for his kind words. “But what was the name of your niece? Perhaps we could locate her. It might not be easy since records were a bit lax back then, but it never hurts to try.”

“Oh, I wouldn't want to bother her,” Nikola said with a wave.

“But still, wouldn't you like to know if she's well? Perhaps she'd like to see you? Aren't you the least bit curious?” Alexei pressed.

Nikolai seemed to ponder this for a moment before softly speaking.

“Diana. Her name was Diana Volkova, though I think they changed her name when she was adopted. Klav…Klad. I’m not sure, I can hardly remember it now.”

“Was it Klavdiya?” Viktor whispered, sitting up, his eyes earnest. 

“Yes! That was it, unusual name. It means lame or crippled; don't know why they'd choose that for a girl as broken as she was.”

“She chose it herself,” Alexei murmured.

Nikolai looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

Alexei responded by pulling a golden locket out of his pocket, the same one Viktor found under the floor just days ago. He opened it to reveal a portrait of Viktor and his mother. “This was my wife, Klavdiya Ivanova, otherwise known as Diana Volkova.”

Nikolai stared at the picture, then at Viktor. Yurio’s mouth was hanging open and Yuuri couldn't help but notice the identical green eyes that stared up at Yurio from Klavdiya’s picture.

“You mean, this is my great nephew?”

Alexei nodded, “Yes sir. This is Viktor, Diana's son.”

Nikolai held back for only a moment before jumping up and wrapping Viktor into a hug, pulling Alexei in too. The older man didn’t bother to hide his tears. “Then you are both my family! Our family. Mine and Yuri’s.”

Yurio sat a bit stunned as he picked up the locket and stared at the photo. Yuuri placed a hand on Yurio’s shoulder as the younger boy shook. “She looks just like my mother,” he whispered.

Nikola broke from Viktor and Alexei to hug his grandson.

Yurio looked so young as he held onto his grandfather. “I have a family?”

“Yes. I know it’s been hard Yurochka, but you won’t be alone now. Even when I’m gone you won’t be alone.”

“That’s right,” Alexei assured them both. “Our home is yours from now on.” He looked up at Yuuri and his parents (his mother having just returned), “You all as well. I know our sons are young, but it’s obvious where this is going, so please, allow me to consider you family also. Viktor and I have been alone too long. I would love to welcome all of you to our family.”

If Yuuri thought he’d hit his daily quota on tears he had been wrong as he and Viktor were wrapped in his mother’s arms while Toshiya assured Alexei that they felt the same, shaking the other man’s hand.

When the tears finally dried and everyone had settled back down Nikola turned to Viktor. “You've always looked after Yura, like an older brother. It’s almost like you knew.”

Viktor chewed his lip and looked like he was struggling with something he didn’t quite understand. “I always just knew…I mean I didn’t know, I couldn’t have but…I did? When I first saw Yuri are the rink I just knew…something. I don’t know how or what, but that time in the street, there was never a choice. I just knew I had to, and more importantly, I wanted to.”

Nicola reached over and grasped Viktor’s hand, squeezing it gratefully.

Viktor swallowed. “Sir, is it alright if I call you Grandpa? Mine died a long time ago and…”

“Of course!” Nikola beamed. “I’ve always wanted more grandchildren. Besides, how jealous will everyone be when I talk about my two World Championship Medalist grandsons.” He laughed happily.

Viktor swallowed once more and took Yuuri’s hand in his own. “Then Grandpa, I’d like you to formally meet Yuuri. He’s very special to me. He’s my family, and I hope you will accept him as part of yours.”

Nikolai smiled even brighter and replied without hesitation. “Of course, Vitya. After all, one could argue that the best family is the one you make. You’ve already created an amazing family, haven’t you?”

They were all reminded of the great crowd of friends and family that had swarmed them at the rink after they received their medals, hugging and laughing them all with joy and love that had surrounded them from all sides.

“Yes,” Viktor agreed, “I have, but it’s nice to have more of my family back, even if I never knew I’d lost them.”

“Wait,” Yurio suddenly cut in, looking concerned, “does this mean I'm related to Otabek?”

Alexei burst into laughter and Viktor snorted into his drink. “No, Otabek is related to my side of the family,” Alexei clarified. “Not Klavdiya’s, so don't worry about that, little tiger.”

Yurio looked both relieved and a little disgruntled by the nickname. Yuuri for his part just smiled and watched as his family grew just a little larger.

 

The next day was hectic and Yuuri found himself looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. The boredom of History of Magic would be a relief after the dozens of interviews he’d conducted between his rehearsals for his exhibition.

He was grateful to only be doing the Exhibition he’d done all season which allowed him to sit back a bit. Viktor on the other hand was directing a small army of their friends trying to sort out the last-minute details between passes of his program.

By the time Yuuri took the ice for his Exhibition he was filled with tension, not for his own skate, but for Viktor’s. Yurio had performed a program that could only have been more ‘him’ if he’d somehow managed to cover the ice with leopard print. Watching it had made all of them laugh and shake their heads.

He stepped onto the ice to see a sea of ‘Step on Me Katsuki’ signs as he silently cursed Phichit who he could see laughing from the front row. He sighed and waved, putting it aside as the music started, and he stepped into his first step sequence.

He wondered if frequent blackouts were common after your first major International medal, because other than the newly added Quad Axel, he remembered little of the performance. It had been strong though, if the ache in his legs and the roar from the crowd was any indication. He couldn’t help but laugh as the organizers wasted no time in bringing out the Zamboni for a quick clean of the ice before Viktor performed.

“Are you ready?” Yuuri asked his boyfriend as they stood at the edge of the ice. Viktor was dressed in a simple costume: black pants, a white shirt and a black tie, the only color on him was his mother’s gold locket that swung around his neck.

“Yes,” he replied, kissing Yuuri’s forehead. “I think this is the end of that chapter. My programs gave me so much, but with this I’ll move on. I hope you’ll come with me?”

Yuuri smiled, “Of course. It’s only the beginning after all.”

Viktor beamed as the announcer called out, “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special performance for you now. Introducing two-time World Championship Gold Medalist Viktor Nikiforov and his newest Exhibition titled ‘[The Sound of Silence](https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4)’. We will be lowering the lights for the duration of this performance and we ask that you do not leave your seats until the performance is over for your own safety. Now without further delay, Viktor Nikiforov!”

Viktor stepped onto the ice with a wave, heading towards the center of the ice as the audience exploded with cheers as the stadium slowly descended into darkness, save the lone spotlight that illuminated Viktor on the ice.

There was a momentary pause and then a soft piano and a deep vocal began to sing as Viktor moved slowly with the music. At first it seemed like a normal Viktor Nikiforov performance, but then there were more lights as beautiful auras surrounded Viktor as he leapt into a Triple Axel, the lights moving with him with such precision that everyone couldn’t help but gasp at the spectacle unfolded before them.

Only the wizards knew what was really happening, and the thousands of them in the hidden stands watched in stunned silence as one of their own used magic so obviously in front of the Muggles. What was he thinking? He’d frighten them; they’d learn the truth!

And yet no one was afraid, all too mesmerized to do anything more than breathe as Viktor spun on the ice, the auras growing ever larger and more vibrant as the music grew stronger, leading into the second verse, when the auras shifted into something more.

Fog that seemed to come from the ice itself grew and rolled over the stadium as the lights around Viktor converged, forming a scene of a lonely city filed with neon, where Viktor skated alone through the streets, his ‘words’ falling on deaf ears as he swirled under the light of a street light that looked to be drawn out of thin air.

A spot light came down suddenly and Viktor was once against bathed in light as the scene changed, the auras reaching out further still as a painter’s brush strokes filled the area around Viktor with bright sweeps of light, illuminating and filling the stadium with the colors.

But that was only half the scene, as throughout the audience hundreds of people held up burning candles that had surely not been lit moments ago; their flames illuminating the room. At the same time, more than a dozen skaters stepped onto the ice, all carrying their own candles.

And yet everyone’s eyes were drawn to Viktor as he spun mournfully on the ice, as much a part of the scenes in front of them as the colors dancing in the sky.

Above Viktor the images changed, from abstract colors to a painted scene that would have been home in any animated movie. A woman’s smiling face appeared and she watched a small boy with long blonde hair skate on a homemade ice rink. But then the scene shattered as the boy fell to the floor, the woman’s body prone on the floor in front of him, a small pill bottle by her hand.

The spot light above Viktor split, one remaining on Viktor, while the second moved, illuminating Yuuri as the scene changed above Viktor to show a small boy pushed to the ground, kicked and laughed at by a group of bullies. Silent tears fell down on the Japanese boy’s face as in the background dozens of people looked on, but no one came to help him.

The light moved again to Imara who stood in the stands, candle held high, silent tears flowing down her cheeks. The scene showed a small girl happily chasing after her father as he held a rescued Lion cub; and then it changed again, to the girl screaming as she looked onto the body of her father after poachers murdered him.

The light split again, lighting up Yurio and Otabek as their scenes played above Viktor. A small boy whose mother never came, who waited alone for a family that was never there; and an older brother who looked on as others shunned his autistic brother.

But there were more than just pictures now as the sounds of the scenes softly began to play, blending with the music like a soundtrack to each person’s heartbreak.

Again, the lights moved, focusing on JJ and Mila, both images showing the skaters hiding in different locker rooms, bruised feet on display as they cried alone on the floor. Again it moved, this time to Minako and Alexei, showing both adults watching as the first two boys cried, and both feeling like there was nothing they could do.

Because now the audience could do more than hear and see, they could feel, feel the heartbreak as the scene grew bigger and bigger and then light split again and again, showing more people’s hidden agonies. Viktor skated, reaching to the audience, his silent plea clear in the look on his face, and the desperation of his body.

The light was on five people now as Viktor still danced below, still skating with all his heart as skaters, classmates and people he’d barely met’s stories flashed in the air above him. A woman crying after her husband left her. A child crying because she was hungry. A man denying his love for another because they’d be killed if they anyone knew.

The skaters on the ice moved forward, surrounding Viktor slowly as the song slowly came to an end. Above their head each of their own private pains shown above them, and Yuuri saw another scene of himself sitting in a classroom and being told he would never be allowed to complete his education; of the following night when he had gone to the rink and skated until his feet bled as he sobbed at the unfairness of it all.

He couldn’t help his tears now as he forced himself to keep up with Viktor’s ever-changing images until finally the scenes pulled back, the music waning and Yuuri turned down the sound of the scenes that slowly disappeared and the room slowly dimmed back into darkness

Above them, words were slowly formed in that neon sketch as the auras slowly returned to within Viktor leaving the room in darkness broken only by the candles and the words that remained as the song ended.

_Love is Magic, Don’t Keep It Silent_

 The crowd was silent, staring around with the realization that each person who sat among them with a candle had stood in the spotlight even if only for a moment, their story shared for the world to see. And then there were cheers as one by one each person realized that they’d never be the same after what they just witnessed.

That night #Magic&Ice trended worldwide as the video of the event spread. Selfies of those who were in the stands filled Instagram as they told their stories the light represented. Tumblr was soon filled with gifs connecting the lights with their stories in the air. Alexei Nikiforov was interviewed and he spoke openly about his wife’s undiagnosed depression and suicide, and the rift her loss had caused between him and his son. He broke into tears as he whispered that he was so proud of his boy for sharing his story so others might avoid their family’s pain.

The hashtag’s originator was none other than Phichit, when moments after the performance he posted a selfie from within the group of skaters featuring Viktor and Yuuri kissing each other passionately for all the world to see. They were surrounded by skaters from throughout the world cheering beside them.

It quickly became the second most Retweeted image of all time.

It might have been the most Tweeted image had it not been for another taken only seconds later by one of the ISU’s official photographers. At center ice, where more than forty skaters and friends, with more streaming carefully onto the ice, came together into a group hug where not a single dry eye could be found.

At its center stood two teenage boys, both barely men, staring into each other’s eyes with so much love that no one could deny that the term soulmates could have been invented just for them.

Love _is_ magic, and no one proved it more than Viktor Nikiforov and Yuuri Katsuki that day.

 

\-----

 

**12 Years Later**

Jo slowly took a steadying breath as she set down her quill and dried her eyes as she looked up at the portraits of hundreds of years of Hogwarts Head Masters. Professor McGonagall’s portrait sat closest to her, with a letter from the former Head Mistress sitting at the corner of her desk, offering advice on how to handle hiring a new Alchemy Professor.

“All I wanted to do was teach Transfiguration, and somehow I ended up here,” she whispered to herself with a smile. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Professor Dumbledore chuckle in his portrait.

Her eyes were drawn down to what would be the final page of the story she’d been writing for so many years, the Pensive she’d been collecting memories within still sitting on the desktop. She couldn’t help but wonder to herself if she’d managed to do her friends justice; how could one capture a moment of color, light and sound and properly translate those feelings onto paper? Could a flat, two-dimensional surface ever properly express all the complexities of human emotions?

A memory of 2D Viktor shimmered at the top of the Pensive as if called there and she couldn’t help but snicker. Perhaps they could. Maybe, just maybe, she’d gotten across even half of what she’d hoped to when she started writing this story down ten years ago.

She’d taken a year after her time at Hogwarts to learn and study, only to be called back much sooner than she expected by Professor McGonagall with a request for her to take over Transfiguration lessons. When the Head Mistress had retired 8 years later, Jo had been convinced someone like Professor Weasley would take over the new position. But he’d turned it down, and somehow, inexplicably, here she sat.

No one had seemed surprised by the appointment but her. She’d called Riko as soon as she’d left her meeting with the school Governors nearly having a panic attack. Just what were they thinking?

“Jo, you’ve literally been running the school since our 4th year,” Riko had snorted into the phone. “You’ll do fine. How’s the book going by the way?”

“Every time I think I’m done Yuuri or Viktor go and do something crazy that reminds me of something else I need to add.”

Riko giggled, “Well don’t worry, with their retirement announced I’m sure they’ll settle down.”

Jo narrowed her eyes, “Riko, have you met Viktor ‘Extra’ Katsuki-Nikiforov? Because I have and I won’t put anything past him!”

Riko lost the ability to speak for a few minutes, gasping with laughter that was undoubtable shaking her whole body. Finally, after a few minutes and what sounded like a thorough nose blowing she finally quieted and softly said, “The anniversary is soon. Don’t you think it’s time?”

Jo sighed, her eyes darting to the Daily Prophet on her desk, its front page splashed with grim reminders of days gone by. “Yes, I think you’re right.”

“I know I am. You might have been the top student, but remember, the race for second was so close there were 6 Head Students that year.”

Jo snorted as she remembered the chaos that had ensured when somehow Charlie, Ari, Riko, Yuuri and Viktor had all managed identical scores on their 6th year exams, with Jo only edging the lot out by 2 points. Viktor was to blame for it somehow, she was sure of it.

But that conversation had been the push she really needed to finish her work. It had seemed like every day there was some new detail that came to light, that needed to be included. Every day some new memory would come to mind and would add a new perspective on that time that just had to be added, even if it required her to rewrite whole sections.

But enough was enough, and it was time to admit the story might never be completely told; this was as close as she would get. It was just the way of things. Time and memory were moving objects, and she would never be able to fully grasp at them.

But for now, she had what was most important. Perhaps new details would come to light, but they would simply add to what was already written; there was little left to be found that could actually change the story. It was time to bring this to an end.

So much had changed and so much would still change, but nothing would happen if no one knew the story. It wouldn’t have transformed without people like Yuuri and Viktor.

When they had arrived, she had been a trend setter, and she’d reformed a few things; but it had been Yuuri and Viktor who had changed everything. She would only give herself credit for having helped to have open the door; it was never her lot in life to stand in the spotlight.

Muggle relations were at an all-time high, with wizards happily working and living alongside Muggles, still keeping magic a secret, but no longer scorning their nonmagical neighbors. Muggleborns, for the most part, were no longer looked down upon, but welcomed with open arms to their new family. Even Durmstrang and Mahoukoro were accepting Muggleborn students and treating them as equals.

And love, love was different. No one in the magical community could judge Yuuri and Viktor when they saw them skate. Their magical exhibitions together would make even the most harden heart weep. The way they would move together, their magic creating a scene that could blind the soul. Yuuri’s love creating a song and Viktor’s filling the world with color. When they skated together it was magic, beyond anything produced within the walls of Hogwarts.

The two were wizarding stars, but they were also stars in the Muggle world, having traded off wins for a decade against each other, openly sharing a kiss on the podium on more than one occasion, much the chagrin of many in Viktor’s home country. They had tried to arrest him no less than 27 times, but had never had any luck, not only because they were unknowingly dealing with two wizards, but because the public had risen up and defended them, demanding the two be left alone.

They had only just announced their retirement and already skaters were lining up to work under them, both Muggle and wizard alike. They were fashion icons (much to Yuuri’s bewilderment – “I literally have to send Phichit a selfie every day before I go out to make sure I don’t humiliate myself!”). Trendsetters and influencers. Their reach going far beyond the ice and into the everyday lives of seemingly the entire world.

But how many people actually knew the truth behind the globetrotting power couple? How many people knew that Viktor’s emotional Exhibitions were not just the stuff of dreams? How many people knew the realities that Muggle separation and hatred had brought to Yuuri’s life?

Now was the time. It had been more than twenty years since Voldemort’s fall and it was time to change the story.

Yes, they would never forget the terrible things that had happened then, nor should they; but it was time to start remembering the things that had changed since that time and be reminded of all the good that had come from it.

Maybe she was wrong, but apparently, she was wise enough to be named Head Master before she’d even left her twenties, so maybe she knew what she was talking about.

She looked up at the portraits again, seeing encouragement all around her. She might not have known most of these Head Masters, but they all remembered when she was a student. And though she now sat on this side of the desk, she doubted their view was likely to change. Besides, did anyone ever stop being a student?

She’d never intended to teach, let alone run the school, but she’d found that the headmastership seemed to suit her, and if she could encourage just one future Yuuri Katsuki or Viktor Nikiforov, it was worth it.

She still didn’t care what pronoun people used to describe her, and she still dressed in an array of clothing from masculine to feminine, but usually somewhere in between. She was still just the easy going, slightly sarcastic Jo, but knowing them, all of them, had changed her, had made her better.

Two photos sat on her desk: a photo of the couple skating at Hogwarts’ Dungeon rink during a special exhibition for the students from just a few months ago, and another featuring all her friends on graduation day. Their faces were still all smiling up at her and waving enthusiastically. Her favorite thing about the photo is how sometimes Yuuri and Viktor would just stare at each other for a while, unable to ever truly look away from the other.

She smiled once more and took a deep breath, looking down at the last sheet of paper while sucking on the end of her quill. There was only one thing left to do.

“The more good we put into the world, the more good we get out of it,” Professor Dumbledore’s portrait had reminded her once.

Now it was time to end it, time to finish her journey and allow it to be shared with the world. She wondered how to title it, how to pay tribute to her two friends whose love was so much stronger than any magic she’d ever witnessed, because the end of their ‘story’ was just the beginning of their love.

She furrowed her brow, contemplating, before slowly placing her quill upon the parchment and finally giving a name to their story. Finally finishing what they had started so many years ago.

 

_On Their Love: Magic & Ice_

_The Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov Story_

_By Jo Ann Taylor_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going to keep this short so you can get right to 41 and the conclusion of Magic & Ice - more explanations there!
> 
> Yuuri's bullying 'vision' is a metaphor for his wand choosing since Viktor couldn't show it in front of Muggles.
> 
> If you're wondering my vision for Viktor's magic in the Exhibition, you can check out [this vid](https://youtu.be/rkPwxUu6kSI?t=12s) (the cool style ends at the 45 second mark, but that should be enough time for you to get the idea).
> 
> Final scores:


	41. Epilogue: On Their Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, when you see a link, give it a click to listen along with the music.

**2 nd Edition: Frequently Asked Questions**

I was pleased to have received so many wonderful letters from fans of my first edition of On Their Love: Magic & Ice that when the time came to publish this second edition I decided to answer some of my favorite, and most often asked questions from my readers.

I hope these answers quench at least some of your curiosity.

**Why did you decide to write On Their Love: Magic & Ice?**

It was right after the 20th Anniversary of the fall of Voldemort and I had just been made Head Master at Hogwarts (as much a surprise to me as anyone). There were stories all around about those we lost and the sacrifices made, and a look at all the changes that had been made since then; and it made me…frustrated.

Yes, many great changes had been made, but how many of them were directly and only because of the war? I wanted to show that change is complicated and has a lot of different sources.

Yuuri and Viktor were admitted into Hogwarts in part because of the war, but also because of the long term efforts of Minako Okukawa, Dumbledore’s own instructions to Professor McGonagall, my own stubborn insistence, as well as many other factors behind the scenes.

If not for that moment, how different would our world be? We’ve seen a marked increase of better Muggle relations, which were at least encouraged by these two skaters. We’ve seen improvements in mental and behavior health treatment thanks in no small part to the Blue Rose Foundation which was founded and still run by Alexei Nikiforov; it’s creation inspired by his family. But would he have had his eyes opened to the need for change if his son had never met Yuuri?

Would Yuuri have skated without the chance that Hogwarts gave him? Would Viktor have continued his education, or ever healed from his assault? These things are all connected, and while the war played a part, it was not the only influence.

To undervalue these other influences is to overvalue the power of violence which can lead people to believe the only way to inspire change is through evil means.

The reality is at least some of the changes our world has made in the past 15 years has been because of love. That is the point of this story. It’s not a new point, as countless other recounts of the war have shown, but it’s an important one that I hope we are reminded of again and again.

We are coming up on the 25th Anniversary of the war and I hope this time that we can focus less on death, and more on hope.

**How was the story researched?**

I started the story with my own experiences and memories, but I ultimately found them to be insufficient to tell the finer details. This meant I needed to go not just to Viktor and Yuuri for their sides of the story, but also to many of their friends, including a few Muggles. For instance, parts of the early story came from Yuuko’s memories, as she was closest to Yuuri at the time (Yuuri’s memories of his birthday had a little more detail than I really thought anyone would want to relive…especially me).

I used a combination of traditional interviews as well as Legilimency and a Pensive to collect memories and store them. There were no shortage of people will to share their memories with me for this book, but obviously the most important memories were that of Yuuri and Viktor. It took a little while to convince them to let me into their heads, but their recollections proved to be invaluable, revealing far more than they ever openly expressed.

I originally intended to only focus on Yuuri’s view (I had started the story as a biography about him, actually), but eventually I found I needed to go much further. For example, when I was diving into his memories of the World Championships in London, I noticed things about Viktor that Yuuri himself didn’t notice at the time. After seeing Viktor’s memories of that same day I began to realize how unreliable Yuuri’s memories were on their own.

The more I learned the more I wanted to know, and slowly the book changed from just an informational tome, to something that read more like a story. I felt this view expressed more about the realities of the time then a simple dictation of facts ever could – plus its a lot more fun to read. This approach lets you, the reader, gain a new and deeper understanding of who Yuuri and Viktor Katsuki-Nikiforov really are.

I thought these viewpoints were important to understand, because the realities of their lives differ significantly from the image that the world sees. From the outside it's easy to believe their lives are perfect and carefree. It is easy to believe the narrative of glamour that surrounds these two.

For instance, just last weekend Victor posted to Instagram pictures from their vacation in the Maldives, featuring them sipping drinks from Coconuts. Meanwhile I spent the weekend arguing about toilet goblins with our caretaker. I bet you had no idea toilet goblins were even a thing. Well, now you know and your life can be just as blessed as mine is by the knowledge that there are goblins in this world that enjoy inhabiting toilet stalls and causing plumbing systems to backup, and that apparently they'd been here for years but Filch let them stay because his cat liked to chase them...but I digress.

The reality is each of them has struggles that only they themselves know, and it’s impossible to really understand the progress they have each made unless you understand where they have been.

Finally, you may have noticed throughout the book, a few places where details may have varied between the chapter notes and the narrative. When writing the story, I tried to stay as close to the firsthand accounts of the moments as possible. However, through my research I was often confronted with the gift of hindsight. Chapter Extras were added as a way to reconcile memories and facts.

**How was Viktor’s Exhibition created and the explained to the Muggles?**

Carefully.

Minako and Professor Weasley handled much of the coordination, but dozens of us were involved. With the help of Phichit we were able to set-up an online submission form for people to submit their personal stories and be part of the act. Though no one really knew how they’d be involved, hundreds of people were willing to participate. They were asked to send videos, pictures, or anything else to describe their feelings. Not everyone who submitted their stories had tickets, and it was Riko’s mother who coordinated the procurement of extra tickets for as many people as she could.

As for the Exhibition itself, the candles were all lit magically by members of our group spread throughout the stadium, though the Muggles holding them thought it was a Bluetooth lighter of sorts. The sound and pictures were all explained as a prerendered animated movie. A small animation studio claimed credit for it (thanks to some very convincing memory charms).

The real challenge of course rested and Viktor and Yuuri’s shoulders. For the wizard subjects we were able to draw out memories and store them in a Pensive to be reviewed, but all of the Muggle memories had to first be created since we couldn’t very well take them. Guang Hong and Leo reviewed all of the submissions and passed them onto Viktor. He’d then construct the scene in his mind and I would pull it from him.

He’d then review the scenes in order until he memorized the entire story. Yuuri had to do much the same, learning the sounds and replicating them back. I still don’t know how they did it given how little sleep either of them were getting right before Worlds.

**What about Poster Viktor?! It was never revealed if he got his Poster Yuuri!**

The conclusion of Poster Viktor’s tale did not come for some time after our story, so I never got the chance to address it within the book. I’m glad now to finally have the chance!

After World’s Yuuri signed dozens of posters hoping to replicate the process, unfortunately it didn’t take hold on the first try, causing us all to take a step back and reevaluate the process. We ended up completely redesigning the autograph pen and it wasn’t until after Yuuri won his first Gold that it finally worked. I am unsure to this day if winning a Gold medal is required for the process to work somehow. Perhaps that is a question for Alchemists?

With the successful creation of a Poster Yuuri (whom Poster Viktor adored), we set about working to merge them, with a few additional precautions in place. For one, we wanted to eliminate the Magical runoff that occurred while 2D Viktor was at Hogwarts.

Riko eventually discovered that the natural minerals from the Onsen’s water (and steam) actually had a nullifying effect on the spillage which is why he always faired best there. We were able to replicate the composition and create a seal over the posters after we successfully merged them.

The actual process for merging was interesting as well, and required the subjects of the pictures (or in this case posters) to actually perform the spells. We didn’t realize this right away since Riko and I were doing the bulk of the experiments and used photos of ourselves. Once we discovered this last piece of the puzzle, Viktor and Yuuri were able to complete their task.

Poster Yuuri and Viktor still skate together to this day while looking over the couple’s living room.

**Did Makkachin and Vicchan die?**

Unfortunately the answer is yes. As all dogs do, the loyal pets eventually aged and passed away.

Vicchan passed first, his weak lungs simply unable to hold out any longer. During his final year it became increasingly difficult for him to get around or go for walks, let alone runs. Because of this, Yuuri began pushing the pup in a buggy on their family runs so he was never left behind. He eventually died peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his family, at the age of 14. Makkachin lived another year or so after the loss of his best canine friend, though he was never really the same. As he aged, he too began to slow, eventually needing Viktor to push him in the buggy during their runs. He died while wrapped in the arms of Viktor and Yuuri, tail still wagging until the end.

The years preceding these sad events were happy, however. Once established in the skating world as dual legends, Yuuri and Viktor both refused to attend an event without the company of their beloved dogs. ISU organizers tried to argue that emotional support pets weren’t ‘technically’ service animals, but they eventually gave up on trying to stop them; knowing that if they wished the power couple to attend the events or stay in the sponsored hotels, their pets would need to be given access. That and Alexei may have cursed an official one time...

Soon, Makka and Vicchan could be seen at every major skating event, waiting happily for their masters at the Kiss and Cry. The two poodles became so popular that the ISU had to make a new rule, asking fans not to throw dog bones onto the ice for fear of injuring someone. The gifted treats were always donated to local animal shelters after every event.

The passing of these legendary dogs left a gaping hole in the collective hearts of both the skating and magical world. Yuuri and Viktor both requested all gifts of condolences be given to animal rescue groups, and were seen volunteering at shelters multiple times in the months following each dog’s death.

Eventually, after time had healed some of their wounds, the men adopted two poodle puppies, training them to serve as comfort animals, often times bringing them to children's hospitals to visit the patients. Both dogs can be seen today at any major skating event the two men attend. Their names are Diya and Diana.

 

**Did Klavdiya foresee her own death?**

It is impossible to know. She left detailed journals behind after her death of her visions, but they did not include many references to her own future. She greatly preferred Herbology to Divination, despite her true gift for the craft and most entries about herself focused on that topic.

Her only real foray into seeing as an adult came when young Mila Babicheva began showing some signs of the gift as a young girl. The families were quite close even before Mila and Viktor started skating under Yakov, and Klavdiya mentored Mila in controlling and living with her gift.

Mila explained to me in our interviews that Klavdiya would allow Mila to look into her future, but the things she saw there frightened her and she refused to do it more than occasionally. She regretted for years never telling her parents about what she saw there.

However, Klavdiya did tell Mila that someday she would see a light, and it would be the start of her own healing process. Thus, when Mila peered into Viktor and Yuuri’s combined futures, she was shocked at how bright it looked and knew that something good was coming. She became their biggest supporter from then on.

 

**My friends and I have argued endlessly about this and we hope you can clarify for us: did Yuuri and Viktor ‘go all the way’ while at Hogwarts?**

Yes. I considered including it in the book but Yuuri refused to let me make it public (which I respect, and quite frankly really didn’t want to have to witness); though I have heard rumors that there is an unauthorized account of their first evening together floating around the Wizarding Internet somewhere. I don’t know who the source was but I wouldn’t be surprised if Viktor was somehow responsible – he’s said on multiple occasions that the evening was ‘life-changing’ for him.

While I won’t say much out of respect for their privacy, I will say that starting in our seventh year Hogwarts began having ‘Sex Ed’ talks at the start of every term where Heads of Houses would gather everyone in each house together in the common rooms for a discussion on safe sex practices.

It’s hard to say what was redder at the end of the part about anal sex care, Professor Weasley’s hair or Yuuri’s face.

Condoms and lube are available in the Infirmary to this day. Some might believe this would lead to more teenage sex, but the reality has been that these open conversations and safe practices have actually led to a decrease in sexual activity among the students. Many are content to wait till they are a little older, though some of the more long standing couples (like Yuuri and Viktor in their time) do still engage in ‘expressions of love.’ As Head Master I encourage healthy expressions of affection, and I think it has benefited the students as a whole.

I’d personally rather have students come talk to me about these issues then to try and pretend they aren’t happening and see someone get hurt.

 

**Who is Killian Durand?**

 As countless readers have noted to me in the past, there is no ‘Killian Durand.’ I changed the name (as well as some other details) of the skater to protect his identity before publishing the book. I also placed a spell on searches of the competitions mentioned in the book to make it impossible to discern the true name of the skater.

I can tell you he retired a year after the story ends after failing to make the podium all year, his injury aggravated at Worlds never fully healing. He might have bought himself more time, but the rumors about him had eventually spread to sponsors, and he was forced to move on from the sport. He lives a rather ordinary life now and all I will further says is that when I asked Viktor about the him his only response was, “I hope he has found peace.”

 

**What about everybody else? What happened to all of their friends? What about Minako and Oda, Mila and Sara, Otabek and Yurio?**

I could literally write 6 more books, at least, on the exploits of our rather interesting group of friends. I don’t really know what it was about our particular class, but it seems that many of us have gone on to rather extraordinary futures. I of course am now serving as Hogwarts Head Master. If you want to know more about me beyond that, I suggest you DM Riko on one of her many social Apps as she would just _love_ to spill the beans on my (nonexistent) love-life.

But in the meantime, here’s an update on how everyone is doing:

Imara has dedicated her life to the protection of animals. She traveled back home after graduating Hogwarts and began setting up a squad of wizards whose job it was to help protect and patrol Muggle National Parks, protecting the wildlife and the rangers within. Clara joined her not long after and in the years since they have started a family together.

Clara wanted their child to have both their DNA and begged Charlie to be a donor. Imara wasn’t thrilled about the idea of being pregnant, but went along with it (she has always been weak to Clara’s begging). They are considering a second child, with Clara as the mother this time, and they are trying to decide on the father since Imara doesn’t have any male relatives.

Charlie, for his part, has led a quiet life. He was offered his choice of jobs at the Ministry after graduation, but decided to work in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Its a small department, but far more respected these days than it was in the days before Voldemort’s fall. It was there, while investigating a rather peculiar clock, that he met a pretty Muggle woman who’d stole his heart. They married within the year, and are already plotting to give Imara and Clara’s daughter a swarm of cousins to play with.

Ari and Riko joined the Department for International Cooperation, and have both been on dozens of undercover operations within the various Muggle Governments of the world, working to help foster peace and cooperation. The Department’s primary objective is to improve wizarding relations, but the general sentiment lately had been that its impossible for wizards to live peacefully if Muggles are blowing each other up. The new directive has been to help ease Muggle tensions and avoid violence whenever possible. Its a difficult task, but an important one.

They are currently on a joint assignment in America and based on what I’m seeing in the news, I hope they can successful manage the situation. Riko sends me a lot of texts now-a-days about Cheetos, whatever those are. I’ve been instructed to say that no one knows anything about their love life, but I will point out that Yuuri has a very cute picture of the two of them together on his Instagram.

Sara pursued dance in earnest after she left Hogwarts and has found a great deal of success, both in the Muggle and wizarding communities. Unfortunately, the difficulties of trying to schedule a relationship between two professional careers led to her split with Mila not long after graduation.

Seung-gil’s father is Muggle, and after graduation he joined the same company where his father worked throughout his life (I believe they make electronics). A few years later when brainstorming an advertising campaign, Seung-gil suggested using a dancer in the ads. They eventually contracted Sara to an exclusive contract which only increased her success. The company promoted a special tour featuring the dancer and placed Seung-gil in charge of organizing the events. He and Sara spent the better part of two years traveling together. They engaged in a relationship during that time, but eventually parted as friends.

At that same time Mila experienced a setback in her career, suffering an injury that many predicted would force her into retirement. She refused to believe it however, and traveled to Hatsetsu to take up residence in Yuuri’s old room while she recovered and worked with Minako daily to regain her form and strength.

Minako at the time was in an “off again” phase in her relationship with Oda (she says she’s too young to settle down just yet) and she and Mila worked long and hard, eventually bringing Mila back to figure skating to win the GPF, Europeans and World’s Golds that season, with Minako beside her as coach (and maybe a bit more for a time).

Maybe it was the intensity of the moment when Mila stood atop the World’s podium, with tears rolling down her face, or the lingering hug between coach and skater that had some in the audience speculating, but Sara returned to Mila soon after. They have been inseparable since. They are in France now; Sara is the Prima of the Paris ballet, and Mila is skating under a new coach.

I’m pretty sure Minako and Oda are back together too and that she’ll eventually settle down. Oda doesn’t seem like the type to give up on something he wants. It should also be noted he skated for an additional four years after the events of this book. He managed to win Four Continents once during that time, narrowly edging out Yuuri for the Gold.

Leo and Guang Hong now live in Los Angeles. Leo has become a DJ, while Guang Hong works as a model for both Muggle and wizarding brands. He apparently has a very generous contract along with the Ito Group and does photoshoots with Yuuri on a regular basis as they are still one of his primary sponsors.

Otabek, after graduating, was immediately drafted to play Quidditch for the Kazakhstan National Quidditch team (as expected), and led them to their first Quidditch World Cup 5 years later. He never gave up on his grumpy Ice Kitten and eventually got the Muggle skater to agree to marry him. After a lot of convincing he was allowed to bring his husband to his Quidditch matches, and had even sat the Russian Fairy on his broom during his victory lap at the World Cup.

Yuri has continued skating, proving to be the only one who can touch Yuuri and Viktor’s dominance in the sport. He’s gained increasing popularity in the magical world due to his inclusion in Yuuri and Viktor’s Magical Exhibitions throughout the years. When the two skaters can fully focus on wrapping their magic around their friend they are able to create some of the most stunning displays that had ever been seen.

Yuri lives in Kazakhstan with his husband, and Yuuri still ‘carpools’ with him to the rink every day.

**What are Yuuri and Viktor up to?**

If you really want an answer to this question I suggest you get a smartphone and follow them on Instagram, because honestly, they are way too much for me to keep up with.

But because I’m in a good mood, or maybe because writing this all down has left me feeling nostalgic, I’ll share with you one last memory, because maybe this, though it’s quite old now, will best answer your question. Maybe it’ll serve as a reminder that love is more powerful than pain or fear, or hurt or rage, or even magic.

Love always wins.

_(Author’s note: Professor Sinistra informed me just days prior to printing that she’ll be resigning at the end of the next term.)_

 

**June of our 7 th Year**

Yuuri slid along the cool, unbroken surface of the Hogwarts rink, letting the quiet fill his mind. He would never forget the magic of this place, both the rink and the school; he still had the Daily Prophet article that had started it all tucked away in a scrapbook Clara had made him.

By tomorrow this place would no longer be home – no, it would always be home for Yuuri, he just wouldn’t live here.

He felt a pair of warm arms encircle his waist and he leaned into the familiar feeling of Viktor’s chest. Viktor was four inches taller than him now, his shoulders considerably broader than they’d been, then Yuuri’s would probably ever be given his heritage. Viktor’s hugs were so nice now, the way they wrapped around Yuuri, supporting him and loving him without question.

“I had a feeling you’d pick that one, zoloste.”

Yuuri smiled and looked down at his chest where Viktor’s fingers were gently running along the edge of his World’s Gold he’s secured just two months ago. “Of course. It’s my first major International Gold.”

“The first of many,” Viktor agreed.

Yuuri turned and looked at his boyfriend. Viktor had grown his hair out a bit more since last year, but they both agreed that, at least for now, his long-haired days were behind him. ‘Maybe when I’m 30!’ he’d said. His hair was skimming his shoulders now, but he’d already resolved to cut it before the next season. Yuuri didn’t argue; he knew Viktor’s real reason for not cutting it since the GPF was a bit of sadness at the prospect of leaving Hogwarts.

He glanced down at Viktor’s chest and his eyes rose in surprise. “Why did you choose that one?”

Viktor smiled and looked down at his Gold from the Cup of China the year before they arrived at Hogwarts. “After I won this Yuuko posted that video of your first Quad. I knew instantly that you were inspired by me, and the way you moved entranced me. This medal changed my life.”

Yuuri felt tears prick his eyes. Of all the many Golds Viktor now had, of course he’d choose that one. He would have chosen it even if it’d been a Bronze.

“I don’t want to leave,” Yuuri sobbed softly, letting himself be wrapped back in Viktor’s arms. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”

He felt Viktor nod into his shoulder. “I never thought any magical place would feel like home to me, but then I came here, and everything changed.”

“I felt the same. Going to magical buildings just meant people staring at me or ignoring me all together. People would look at my wand or my robes and scoff, disbelieving I’d earned them, but then I came here and I was just Yuuri. Nothing else about me mattered. I never thought when Minako told me this place would be better that she truly meant it.”

“Otabek used to tell me the same thing; I never believed him.”

“We should make them both a cake.”

Viktor snorted, “We brought them together with the loves of their lives, we’re even.” He snuggled his face into Yuuri’s neck, kissing the soft skin gently.

“You really think Minako will settle down with Oda?”

Viktor tapped his temple. “I never studied Divination, but I am my mother’s son. Sometimes I just know things. That’s why this medal means so much to me; the moment I saw you skate I _knew_ you’d be special to me. I wasn’t even conscious of it until last year.”

“When Nikola asked you why you’d always looked after Yurio?”

Viktor nodded. “It sort of opened my eyes, you know? Maybe I missed my calling?”

Yuuri snorted, “Best figure skater in the world, Alchemy prodigy, and Head Boy at Hogwarts and you think you missed your calling for Divination?”

Viktor giggled, “Now now, I’m no longer the best skater in the world. There’s a medal on your chest to confirm that.”

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Our rankings say otherwise.”

“Our rankings are wrong.”

They slid around the icy surface in silence once more until Viktor began humming something under his breath, a small smile on his lips.

“[What song is that](https://youtu.be/mTTFqCpYqlo)?” Yuuri asked.

“It was the one Exhibition I never performed. It was about magic, and the wizarding world actually. Would you like to see it? Or hear it more, I guess, I don’t have anything choreographed.”

“Of course, I always want to watch you skate.”

Viktor chuckled and connected his phone to sound system and beginning the music. Bluetooth had always been a bit finicky down here, but Charlie had figured out how to use magic to enhance it so they could connect wirelessly now. It was useful when you wanted to run a certain section over and over.

A soft guitar began to play and Viktor danced before him, his body flowing over the ice. It wasn’t a full program, but it was clear Viktor had given it a lot of thought over the years as moved into a shotgun spin perfectly in time with the music.

There was a sadness and longing in the words and Viktor’s movement, as he begged for a reason not to give it all up. He jumped into a smooth Quad Salchow and slid up in front of Yuuri singing softly, “Love show me the way.”

Yuuri snickered, “It’s Lord show me the way.”

“I like it better this way,” Viktor said with a wink before slowly circling Yuuri as he skated. “You were my reason.”

“Vitya,” Yuuri whispered, a blush on his cheek and tears prickling his eyes.

“It’s true. I had every reason to give up on magic. I could have easily walked away from my home, my father, all of this,” he gestured around them, “but then I saw you.” He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers along Yuuri’s cheek. “All I needed was one good reason, yet you gave me a million. You changed my life, Yuuri.”

Yuuri pushed forward and kissed Viktor hard. “It was the same for me you know.”

Viktor nodded. “I’m so glad you gave it one last shot.”

Yuuri took Viktor’s hands and looked deep into his eyes. “We graduate tomorrow, and I know we’ve already agreed we’re moving on together, but I don’t want to leave anything up in the air. I want to stay by your side, Vitenka. I want to keep skating with you.”

Viktor’s eyes grew wide as a small flush grew on his cheeks, “That almost sounded like a marriage proposal.”

Yuuri set his feet and took a breath as he took Viktor’s hands in his own.

“It was meant to.”

Viktor’s eyes went wide as Yuuri slipped his wand out of his pocket and conjured a golden ring into the palm of his hand. “Once we’re out of school, I want to live together, skate together, grow together. I want to marry you. Maybe not right away, we’re pretty young after all, but soon, if you’ll have me, if you want to marry me too.”

“Of course I do!” Yuuri was suddenly nearly thrown to the ground as Viktor jumped on him, kissing him eagerly. “I do I do!”

Yuuri couldn’t help but chuckle as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, fiancé, enjoying the way Viktor curled against him. “Do you want your ring now?”

“Yes!’ Viktor cried, bouncing back and holding out his hand with an excited smile on his face as Yuuri slide the ring onto his finger. Viktor raised his hand in the air and stared at the cool metal band as it sparkled in the candlelight that illuminated the rink. “I guess it’s a good thing I got you this then,” He flicked his wand and another golden ring appeared in his hand. “I didn’t think you’d beat me to it though.”

Yuuri couldn’t hold back the tears now as he nodded, watching while Viktor slid the ring onto his own finger.

“I hope you’re not mad about this,” Viktor whispered.

“About wha…?” But Yuuri was cut off before he could ask as the rink was suddenly filled with his friends, classmates and teachers, all streaming into the rink and cheering for the couple, sparks flying everywhere from the many wands raised in celebration.

Yuuri laughed and smiled up at Viktor’s sheepish face. “This is perfect.”

“Da?” Viktor asked and Yuuri nodded again.

The celebration raged into the night and was highlighted by Phichit leading Professor McGonagall out onto the ice for a spirited dance of sorts that Jo covertly recorded on her phone with Riko by her side snorting into her hand. Ari and Charlie had managed to secure a large crate of Butterbeer from Hogsmeade, while Leo, Clara, and Guang Hong had persuaded the House elves to bake up a feast that none of them really needed to eat after having already consuming the end of term banquet, but no one argued about as bowls of Katsudon magically appeared.

In the ballet area, Otabek’s little brother sat with Vicchan and Makkachin and a group of first years, his sister watching from a little ways away, surrounded by her own friends. Imara was entertaining the younger students by showing them a few of the tricks she’d trained the dogs to do, inspiring delighted cheers and applause from all around them. Otabek stood to the side watching over his siblings, a look of pride clear on his face.

Far across the ice Mila and Sara danced together as if they were the only two people in the world; and on the wall near the cubbies someone had hung the now twice as large poster where 2D Viktor skated beside his 2D Yuuri, a new layer of protective coating sealing in their magic so they could skate together forever.

“I want to come back here someday,” Yuuri whispered as Viktor returned to his side after a lively game of Exploding Snaps with Seung-gil (who it turned out was crazy competitive at the simple game).

“We will,” Viktor whispered. “We can visit as much as you like.”

Yuuri shook his head, “Not just to visit, but later, once we’re done skating, I want to come back here and teach. If they’ll have me that is.”

“Yuuri you and I both know McGonagall has already given you and I both open invitations to teach here in the future. Professor Sinistra practically begged you at our last lesson to take her position when she retires.”

Yuuri blushed, “But what about you, what about your dreams?”

Viktor smiled, “I want to have my own rink someday, to be a coach like Yakov. I want to work with wizard and Muggle skaters, teaching them how to skate, but also how to coexist, even if the Muggles don’t know about that part.”

“That sounds nice too.”

“What makes you think we can’t do both?” Viktor grinned and kissed the tip of Yuuri’s nose. “It’ll be just like training. You teach here in the day, then come home to me at the rink. Maybe you can help train some of the students on the weekends when you have time, or around competitions when things get crazy.”

“Do you mean it?” Yuuri asked eagerly. “You wouldn’t mind? I mean…!”

“Shh, zoloste, of course I wouldn’t mind. You’re an amazing teacher, the Exceeds Expectations on my History of Magic NEWT proves it. It would be a crime to deprive future generations of you.”

Yuuri blushed, “Maybe I should ask to take over History of Magic instead.”

Viktor laughed and leaned their foreheads together. “Whatever you choose you’ll do great.”

Yuuri couldn’t help but imagine it. Teaching during the day then coming home and helping Viktor for an hour or two at the rink, ending their nights together at home with their poodles. It seemed like a dream. “So, when do we get started?” he asked as he stared up into the ice blue eyes that had enchanted him from first glance.

Viktor chuckled and took Yuuri’s hands in his own, staring at the two shining rings on their fingers. “We already have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all let me say THANK YOU! Thank you for reading and sharing this story. Your support has meant so much to me. I won't deny I got a little emotional as I wrote these last two chapters; a part of me has grown so attached to these characters in the process of writing this. But I also love this story so much. I began writing it because I couldn't find what I was looking for, and I think I accomplished what I set-out to do. Knowing that others have enjoyed it enough to say such kind words over the past many months is just the cherry on top. I am so grateful.
> 
> If you liked this story you should check out [my other works](http://archiveofourown.org/users/ajwolf/pseuds/ajwolf) cause they're a lot of fun. [Queens](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11264904/chapters/25187820) is still updating and will get a bit more attention now that I'm not focusing so hard on this story. I've also released details on my next AU - [The Unusual Truth](http://ajwolf84.tumblr.com/post/163817204617/new-au-preview-the-unusual-truth). Also, I'm going to be releasing 3 deleted scenes from M&I either later today or tomorrow. I held onto them because they were cute and I kind of mourned their loss, but it was for the greater good. I figured you guys might like to see them so I'll get them posted.
> 
> I'm going to take about a week off and binge some anime, play some games, but then I'll be back to writing. I know I said  _ages_ ago I'd write a one-shot about Otabek and Yurio's Christmas. That'll still happen. I have a little note here with several other ideas as well so this story really isn't 'over'. There will be more in the series soon enough.
> 
> So thank you again! If you have a one-shot request, shoot me an Ask on tumblr or in the comments below. Comments, shares, kudos and reqs still mean the world to me. I hope you'll join me for The Unusual Truth and Queens. I've got at least two more AUs in the wings after those that I'm DYING to write so this isn't the last you'll see of me. While I'm so sad to say goodbye to this story (you have no idea how much I sobbed when I finished that last scene), I'm also relieved to have finally told it, and to now have the freedom to move on to my next tale. Thank you again for your support. See you next level.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me on [tumblr](http://ajwolf84.tumblr.com/) or [Twitter](https://twitter.com/AJWolf84).


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